Speedo Mick has been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award for the fourth time

Speedo Mick has been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award for the fourth time in the last six years.

With his phenomenal fundraising efforts now topping the £1million mark, Speedo Mick is in the running to receive the Fundraiser of the Year accolade.

The award is presented in recognition of ‘tireless and inspirational charity fundraising’ and the 59-year-old Scouser definitely ticks all those boxes.

But although he’s thrilled to be nominated, Mick says it’s not about getting spotlight for himself.

“I don’t do all of this for recognition for me personally, I do it for the challenge and to live life to the full. It’s not about trying to win awards, it’s about the giving back process but obviously it is nice when people appreciate what I’ve done.

“People aren’t daft, they’d see through someone who was being egotistical or doing just for themselves, but they see how passionate I am about what I’m doing and they see that it’s genuine. It’s a genuine attempt to do my little bit to better the world, to rebalance the good and the bad.

“And I do feel proud, to be able to take those challenges and be able to pick my life up from when it was in tatters and turn it around.”

Speedo’s most recent trek, which is likely to be his last, took him 1,000 miles from John O’Groats to Lands End, including the Three Peaks, and raised well over £200,000 taking his overall total past the magic million pounds.

Earlier this year he was given the Liverpool Citizen of Honour award in an emotional ceremony at the Town Hall.

Adding the Pride of Britain to that would, he says, be the icing on the cake after dedicating nine years to fundraising and setting up his Speedo Mick Foundation to support mental health, disadvantaged young people and people who are homeless – all things he’s experienced in his own life.

The national awards are screened each year on ITV and are celebrating their 25^th anniversary this year.

The ceremony in the autumn, held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London, attracts a star-studded audience including music legends, sports stars and big TV and film names.

Winners in each category are chosen by a judging panel, so Mick says he’ll be keeping everything crossed.

“This is my fourth time nominated, I think that people are just determined to get me a Pride of Britain award and I’m really grateful for all their support and determination,” he adds.

“I was actually shortlisted two years ago and two years before that so I was down to the last four, but I’ve never got as far as the ceremony which would be lovely.

“It’s such a prestigious award and it would highlight what the foundation does, get the name out there and help to show what we do and where the money they donate goes.

“Being nominated again is totally amazing in itself, but to win would just be a nice finale to all the fundraising and the walks – unless I put my Speedos on again when I’m 78 and walk up and down the garden!”

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