Cambridge man tackles 250km rowing challenge for Alzheimer’s Research UK in honour of serviceman dad

Three years ago when his father began to have trouble finding his way in the car, Paul Holland put it down to ageing.

His father, in his 70s, was still very active, having spent 11 years in his youth serving in the Royal Signals and then many years working around the world as a telecommunications engineer.

But when he started to get lost visiting Paul’s home in Cambridge the family became concerned.

Within months, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease was given and since then his father’s memories have slowly slipped away.

Now Paul, spurred on by Remembrance Day, has decided to raise money for a research charity in honour of his father.

Paul, 49, of Bourne Road, Cambridge, said: “My father is the inspiration for my taking on the rowing challenge, raising money for Alzheimer’s Research. Not because he was perfect, but because he was a good dad, shaped by the post-war world he grew up in. He succeeded in ways beyond what would have been expected of a young lad from the Liverpool slums.”

The challenge Paul has set himself is to row 250km this month and try to reach 360km by Christmas on an indoor rowing machine.

“I’m a bit behind as I started on November 8. It was only the fact it was Remembrance Sunday that made me think I should do it. Dad’s service really formed who he was in many ways. He made it through the ranks to be a non-commissioned officer.

“He’s still with us but, like so many ex-servicemen, he struggles with new challenges every day and Alzheimer’s is robbing his ability to remember the men he served with and the world of experience the Army gave him.”

Tony Holland served around the world, often taking his then young family with him. Paul was born in Cyprus.

“Dad went from being a bad boy likely to end up in trouble to being a man in charge of training recruits. Mum said she could hear him from miles away when he was shouting at the young troops. She’d stand at the edge of the parade ground and tell the passing squaddies he wasn’t such a bad sort.

“You learn quickly with Alzheimer’s to scan documents and pictures to make them easier for your loved one to access. I’ve put all dad’s old Army pictures and certificates in an A3 folder for him to look at whenever he wants to.”

On leaving the Army, Tony’s fitness served him well. He did fundraising activities including walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats for his daughter’s school.

“I want to do something like that for dad,” said Paul.

To donate go to Paul’s JustGiving page at https://www.rowingforresearch.org/fundraising/pauls-250km-rowing-challenge.

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