You’re never too old to achieve Super Awesome Person™ status, although it’s likely that Capt. Tom Moore of Bedfordshire, UK, achieved that designation decades ago.
The 99-year-old British veteran (born April 30, 1920) started a JustGiving campaign in April 2020 to raise money to support NHS staff and volunteers caring for COVID-19 patients through the Association of NHS Charities. The United Kingdom is one of the countries hardest-hit by the current pandemic, with more than 129,000 confirmed cases and 17,000 deaths (as of April 21). The UK’s publicly funded healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS) has struggled under the strain of COVID-19, with unreliable testing that have missed and dozens of UK health workers who have died from COVID-19.
Capt. Moore during his military service 
Capt. Moore with family members 
Capt. Moore walks laps and raises millions for the NHS
Photos from Capt. Tom Moore’s JustGiving campaign
Capt. Tom Moore’s JustGiving campaign was simple: he would walk 100 lengths of his 25m-long garden before his 100th birthday and document his progress (#walkwithtom), hoping to raise £1,000 for the NHS. Within days, news about his campaign spread all over the UK—and the world—as the veteran tackled his challenge in 10-lap chunks. His modest original fundraising goal was smashed by April 10th, with more than £50,000 raised, and he upped his goal to £100,000. In a chat with BBC Breakfast, Capt. Moore described his experience receiving care from the NHS as “marvellous (…) particularly the nurses”. He praised the staff that aided his recovery after a broken hip. “The patience and the kindness that I got from all of them, top to bottom, was absolutely amazing.”
On April 16th, Capt. Moore completed the final ten laps of his challenge, and his fundraising efforts surpassed an astonishing £12 million, even crashing the JustGiving page with hundreds of thousands of donors eager to give, often in modest amounts of £5, £10, or £20. Moore’s fans—everyone from the British Health Secretary Matt Hancock to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge—expressed their admiration for the veteran and the incredible fundraising drive he inspired. There’s even a petition to get him knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
According to his JustGiving bio, Capt. Moore was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, completed an apprenticeship as a Civil Engineer, and was enlisted into the 145th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps at the beginning of World War II. He later served in India in the 9th Battalion (9 DWR), and served in Arakan and in Sumatra after the Japanese surrender. After the war, he became a father, grandfather, and the managing director of a concrete manufacturer. Capt. Moore’s daily laps of his garden began as part of his physical recovery following a recent partial hip replacement.
In the week since he finished his 100 laps, Capt. Moore’s fundraiser continues to raise money for the NHS, with nearly £28 million raised (~$34 million, as of April 21) from more than 1.3 million donors. Who knows how many more donations this incredible man will have inspired by the time his 100th birthday has come and gone?
- Follow Capt. Moore on Twitter for more updates as he turns 100 and keeps raising money for the NHS.
- Track his 100 lap journey and the incredible response from around the world: #walkwithtom
- Celebrate a brighter tomorrow for all: #tomorrowwillbeagoodday
- Donate to Capt. Moore’s JustGiving campaign here, and thank the #NHSheroes—and heroic healthcare workers around the world.
UPDATE: May 1, 2020
Capt. Moore turned 100 yesterday! The centenarian spent most of the day self-isolating with family in his Bedfordshire home where he received a Royal Air Force fly by and birthday greetings from the U.K.’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Boris Johnson—along with well-wishes, birthday cards, and presents from fans around the world. He’s an honorary colonel now, and his JustGiving campaign has raised more than £32.7 million (~$41 million) and counting.
Happy belated birthday, Colonel Tom! AND MANY MORE!