Ben Mullany’s uncle has clocked up almost 400 miles in an epic tribute to his nephew.

FINISHING LINE Terry Maloney and Michael Meredith at Morriston Hospital with Ben Wright from the South Wales Evening Post.

Michael Meredith, along with friend Terry Maloney, walked 12 hours for six days from North to South Wales, before cycling more than 200 miles to Morriston Hospital.

The sprawling journey, which left hoteliers along the way stunned, was made all the more fitting as Michael did the ride on Ben’s old bike.

Michael, aged 51, said: “It was tough, but it did not matter what pain I put myself through, because I wanted to do something in memory of Ben.

“He definitely would have appreciated the challenge.”

The two friends were waved off by family members at Chepstow at 5am on March 18 as they began their walk up Offa’s Dyke.

Among them was Michael’s wife, Cheryl. She said: “I do worry a bit because he’s had a heart attack and overcame bowel cancer. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Former Welsh league ref Terry, aged 54, had suffered a heart attack too.

“It was a shock for the both of us, as we’ve always led fit lives,” he said.

“But we were given the all-clear by cardiologists to do this. It’s a very personal thing forMichael because of what happened to Ben.

“It was a no-brainer that we had to do something out of the ordinary.”

And despite Michael encountering problems with his shin splints and swollen legs, the dad-of-two bravely hobbled on. By last Wednesday, he and Terry had arrived at Prestatyn, where Ben’s parents met them. After embracing the pair, they were set off again for the 200-mile cycle to Swansea.

Fitting “I had bought a new bike especially for the ride,” said Michael. “But it had a problem within a few miles of the start, so I had to use the back-up bike, which was fitting, as it was Ben’s.”

On Thursday, they had clocked up more than 100 miles in harsh conditions.

“The last part was probably the most difficult,” said Michael, of Pontllanfraith.

“We went through Ammanford and up the mountains near Felindre. The views were amazing, but God the hills were steep.”

Terry, from Newport, added: “We’ve seen some amazing countryside along the way. But the thing we were most pleased to see was DVLA in the distance, as it meant we were nearly there.”

And at 3.30pm last Friday, they rode into Morriston Hospital, where they got a round of applause from family, friends and even some hospital patients who had heard about the 376-mile round trip.

As well as clocking up the miles, they also managed to raise more than £3,000 for The Mullany Fund.

The charity was set up in memory of Ben and Catherine Mullany, who were shot on the last day of their honeymoon in Antigua.

Qualified doctor Catherine died instantly, while Ben died a week later after being brought back to Morriston Hospital.

Money from The Mullany Fund will give financial help to medical students. Michael added: “They were such a great couple and they both wanted to help people. It’s vital to me their good work carries on.”

RETURN LEG Michael Meredith and Terry Malone set off from Prestatyn towards South Wales after walking Offa’s Dyke, with Ben Wright from the South Wales Evening Post.

Ben Wright did part of the challenge and wrote the following for the South Wales Evening Post:

I HAVE a problem of agreeing to things without thinking things entirely through.

When Michael and Terry asked me if I wanted to join them on a 200-mile bike ride,my mouth was engaged beforemy brain had time to think.

Still, I had to take this on. Not onlywas it for a good cause (I have a rare kidney problem, so any money that helps doctors gets my thumbs-up), but sometimes its good to tackle something that’s a long way outside of your comfort zone.

After months of training, the ride finally began in windy Prestatyn.

With my back to the sea and staring southwards, this was it. The first 20 miles were glorious.

Downhill, nicely surfaced roads and a tail wind. But once we arrived at Ruthin things suddenly took a turn for the worse. I’d made an error reading the map, meaning we took a four-hour detour. With that cloud of embarrassment hanging over me, there were then big hills to climb in head winds and heavy rain.

By the end of the first day we had been in the saddle for 13 hours. I was shattered, not just physically, but mentally too.

Come day two, my knee decided it wasn’t having any more of this and wanted out, within 500 yards of leaving Rhayader.

But thanks to Michael and Terry’s dogged determination, they kept me going.

“Its only pain,”’ became Michael’s mantra to me.

Hour by hour there were more glimmers of hope. The first was seeing the sign for Carmarthenshire, then seeing the X13 bus on route to Llandeilo. And at last, after a back-breaking ride towards Felindre, we could faintly make out Morriston Hospital.

It was fitting the ride finished there. It was the place where Catherine Mullany worked and where doctors tried to save Ben’s life following the awful events in Antigua.

After crossing the finish line, these two facts were not lost on me. They made the reason for doing this all the more poignant, especially being a regular visitor to Morriston Hospital.

It was the toughest thing I have ever done, and 24 hours on, as I write this, the feeling in my knees have not returned fully. But the money raised for The Mullany Fund makes these minor aches worth it.

However, I think it will be a while before I even think about getting on a bike again. Now, where did I put that soft cushion?”

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