Olly Murs reveals he’s taking on BRUTAL charity challenge after ‘terrifying’ life-changing Romania trip
OLLY MURS is taking a leap into the unknown on a brutal 250-mile challenge for Unicef’s Soccer Aid.
In an exclusive chat with Bizarre, the singer revealed he will run, row and cycle from Manchester United’s Old Trafford to West Ham’s London Stadium across five punishing days for Olly Murs: Into The Unknown.
He admitted that a life-changing trip to Romania had given the challenge a whole new meaning.
The Troublemaker star travelled to Eastern Europe to see the charity’s work first-hand, and was moved after meeting mum-of-one Oksana, who escaped Ukraine after Russia invaded and is now living in a Unicef facility in Romania.
“Her baby was only seven months old,” Olly said. “Coming here in the middle of a war on her own, no family, no friends.
“The story was tough to listen to.
“The fact that eight weeks later, her house (in Ukraine) got bombed, it’s terrifying, isn’t it?
“It kind of puts things into perspective.”
The trip clearly hit home for Olly, who has a daughter, Madison, and baby son, Albert, with wife Amelia.
He explained: “All I want to do is keep my baby safe and keep the (children) healthy and happy, and that’s the same for every parent around the world.”
While the cause is inspiring, the 250 miles sounds absolutely brutal.
In a harsh twist, Olly won’t know exactly what he’ll be facing each day.
He revealed: “It does scare me because it’s really hard when you’re preparing for something when you don’t know the distances.”
Even his birthday is being sacrificed to the cause.
Olly laughed: “The 11th of May is when I start it — my birthday week.
“I’ll be celebrating my birthday whilst running or cycling or rowing somewhere.”
Olly, who has undergone four knee operations, is worried about what impact the arduous challenge will have on his joints.
He added: “I don’t know how my knee’s going to cope. It’s definitely going to have an effect on my body, and my knees.
“But I’m confident that I’m fit enough to do it.”
Away from the graft of preparing for his charity challenge, Olly says his home life has become his priority, with music temporarily on the back burner.
“I’ve really enjoyed just being at home and not singing any more,” he explained.
“I’m just singing and entertaining my kids.
“I posted a video the other day of me singing to my kids some of my songs and Maddie kept saying ‘No.’
“It’s a tough crowd at home.”
Olly is now hoping he’ll have an easier time on the pitch at Soccer Aid on May 31, when he will line up as part of the England squad alongside
Wayne Rooney, Tom Hiddleston, Gk Barry, Jill Scott, Angry Ginge and with SoccerAid founder Robbie Williams as coach.
The Soccer Aid World XI features ex-players Jordi Alba of Spain and Italy’s
Leonardo Bonucci, with the team being coached by Olympian Usain Bolt.