Daredevil pensioner flies plane and rides Harley Davidson in birthday bucket list
- 7 months ago
A daring OAP who set out to do 90 adventures before his 90th birthday including flying a plane and riding a Harley Davidson motorbike has completed the challenge.
Malcolm Metcalf challenged himself to do 90 things he'd never done before ahead of his landmark birthday in December.
Now he has completed the tasks two months ahead of his birthday celebrations.
The challenges included judging a dog show, making rock sweets, clay pigeon shooting, horse riding and being a passenger in Elvis Presley's Cadillac.
He also went stock car racing and and travelled through eight countries as part of his adventures.
The near-nonagenarian set himself the challenge to raise money for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice in Norwich, Norfolk and had until December 4 to finish it.
But after wrapping it up two months ahead of schedule, he ended up trying 98 new things in total.
Malcolm, who is still 89, said: "I'm still buzzing with everything.
"When I started, I told my godson what I was doing and he said 'you're never going to do that Malcolm' and that I've taken on too much.
"But I've done it now.
"It was a bit slow to start with as I was doing around three challenges a week but the whole thing is down to teamwork from others.
"It's been marvelous."
Out of all the 98 things he's done, Malcolm said one of his favourite things to do was when he completed 15 new things in one day.
This included traveling across Norfolk in a range of vehicles including a police car, a chimney sweep's van, a Bentley and Elvis Presley's old Cadillac.
The pensioner also went in a two-seater Formula One stock car that was driven by stock car driver Phoebe Wainman-Hawkins.
Malcolm said: "Going in the Formula One car has gone to be my favourite thing.
"I had to wear a special suit and then I did six laps around the track - it was absolutely breathtaking.
"It's the fastest I've ever been on wheels.
"Five men had to get me out in the end because it was such a narrow car, so I had to squeeze in and they had to pull me out.
"But I also flew a four-seater plane from Norwich airport, where we flew all over Norfolk and we even saw my house."
In September last year, Malcolm travelled through eight countries including France, Italy, Austria and Germany on 36 trains in 20 days to raise money for the hospice.
He was inspired to raise money for them as he had an unknown serious illness when he was younger.
Now, the money he's raised has helped the hospice build a new building for patients.
Malcolm, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, said: "They are over the moon.
"The hospice has been built and I'm having a special tour of it, so I'm looking forward to that.
"But I've given them so much publicity and they treat me like a long lost son really.
"It's done so well."
Malcolm never married or had any children as he wanted to travel instead of settling down.
When he was in his twenties, he hitchhiked to Australia where he lived for two years and he once did a 10,000 mile train journey around America.
The pensioner wrote a book about his life and his travels called 'My Adventurous Life' which sold out, but he now has plans to re-publish it.
However, Malcolm has said he might write a new book about the challenge but added that he won't attempt anything like it again.
He said: "I might write a book about this during the winter time so I can sit down and relax and then do it.
"That's my big thing finished now - I've done ever so well and I just live life to the fullest.
"I've got two good things in life - good health and many, many friends."
Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/malcolms-tour-for-hospice? to donate.
Malcolm Metcalf challenged himself to do 90 things he'd never done before ahead of his landmark birthday in December.
Now he has completed the tasks two months ahead of his birthday celebrations.
The challenges included judging a dog show, making rock sweets, clay pigeon shooting, horse riding and being a passenger in Elvis Presley's Cadillac.
He also went stock car racing and and travelled through eight countries as part of his adventures.
The near-nonagenarian set himself the challenge to raise money for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice in Norwich, Norfolk and had until December 4 to finish it.
But after wrapping it up two months ahead of schedule, he ended up trying 98 new things in total.
Malcolm, who is still 89, said: "I'm still buzzing with everything.
"When I started, I told my godson what I was doing and he said 'you're never going to do that Malcolm' and that I've taken on too much.
"But I've done it now.
"It was a bit slow to start with as I was doing around three challenges a week but the whole thing is down to teamwork from others.
"It's been marvelous."
Out of all the 98 things he's done, Malcolm said one of his favourite things to do was when he completed 15 new things in one day.
This included traveling across Norfolk in a range of vehicles including a police car, a chimney sweep's van, a Bentley and Elvis Presley's old Cadillac.
The pensioner also went in a two-seater Formula One stock car that was driven by stock car driver Phoebe Wainman-Hawkins.
Malcolm said: "Going in the Formula One car has gone to be my favourite thing.
"I had to wear a special suit and then I did six laps around the track - it was absolutely breathtaking.
"It's the fastest I've ever been on wheels.
"Five men had to get me out in the end because it was such a narrow car, so I had to squeeze in and they had to pull me out.
"But I also flew a four-seater plane from Norwich airport, where we flew all over Norfolk and we even saw my house."
In September last year, Malcolm travelled through eight countries including France, Italy, Austria and Germany on 36 trains in 20 days to raise money for the hospice.
He was inspired to raise money for them as he had an unknown serious illness when he was younger.
Now, the money he's raised has helped the hospice build a new building for patients.
Malcolm, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, said: "They are over the moon.
"The hospice has been built and I'm having a special tour of it, so I'm looking forward to that.
"But I've given them so much publicity and they treat me like a long lost son really.
"It's done so well."
Malcolm never married or had any children as he wanted to travel instead of settling down.
When he was in his twenties, he hitchhiked to Australia where he lived for two years and he once did a 10,000 mile train journey around America.
The pensioner wrote a book about his life and his travels called 'My Adventurous Life' which sold out, but he now has plans to re-publish it.
However, Malcolm has said he might write a new book about the challenge but added that he won't attempt anything like it again.
He said: "I might write a book about this during the winter time so I can sit down and relax and then do it.
"That's my big thing finished now - I've done ever so well and I just live life to the fullest.
"I've got two good things in life - good health and many, many friends."
Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/malcolms-tour-for-hospice? to donate.