Professional Irish dancer Connor Smyth has raised more than £3,000 after completing a charity challenge of 10,000 push-ups in the month of November.
The 30-year-old dancer from Newtownards, Northern Ireland, was inspired by a Teenager Cancer Trust Facebook post advertising a challenge of 3000 push-ups throughout the 30 days of November.
He decided to triple the number and round up to 10,000 to encourage donations, and was in quarantine in Taiwan ahead of Lord of the Dance’s upcoming tour when he completed the challenge.
Speaking to Irish Dance Globe, he said: “My family has been affected by cancer in the past so the cancer charities are close to my heart and I always try to support them. I thought it was fitting that it was the Teenage Cancer Trust advertising such a challenge and knew then that I needed to take part and try to raise as much money for such a great cause.”
With the current total standing at £3,194 Smyth said he was “overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness” from everyone who has supported the challenge.
The performer hit his original target of £300 within 24 hours of starting the challenge, so continued to raise it through the month.
When Smyth flew to Taiwan ahead of the Lord of The Dance tour, he missed two days where he didn’t do any push-ups, which required him to up his daily average from 333 to 440 in the last week so he finished the challenge in November. He completed his 10,000th push-up just before midnight on 30 November.
Emphasizing the physical toll of the challenge, he said: “The hardest thing was to have the discipline to do the push-ups consistently every day.”
Working at home before travelling to Taiwan, he couldn’t spread them out through the day, meaning some nights he had to get all the push-ups done in one session.
“In terms of soreness, it was more my chest and shoulders, with a little bit of tightness in my triceps. Every day the first and last few sets were very tough but something you just get used to, but everyone’s support and donations really drove and pushed me.”
The funds will go towards providing life-changing care and support to young people so they do not have to face cancer alone.
You can donate towards Connor Smyth’s 10,000 push-ups fundraiser until 13 December here.
