HE’S climbed Kilimanjaro, trekked into Antarctica with temperatures 35 degrees below zero and parachuted free fall from 15,000 ft. About the only hindrance that would stop Ray Sturdy doing extraordinary things is nailing his feet to the floor.

He arrived for the interview having very helpfully prepared a type written list of some of the challenges he’s completed along the way to raising more than £80,000 for charity. The tab had reached 14 before he ran out of time and decided he ought to make for our offices. The off-the-top-of-the-head collection included a 500k cycle ride in South Africa, walking the Great Wall of China, a three-week trek through the Torres del Paine National Park in South America and cycling the Ring of Kerry in Ireland.

Not bad for a 72-year-old from Northwick, Worcester.

It’s not as if Ray was an action man by trade. He’s never been in the SAS, worked as a trapeze artist or understudied Jason Statham/ Tom Cruise/Daniel Craig. His day job was a pipeline engineer, albeit in exotic locations like Saudi Arabia, which sounds rather more racy than Wales.

Originally from London, he came to Worcester in 1982 when his employers decided to open a Midlands office and he’s been here ever since. Although his remarkable fund raising efforts have their roots rather more recently and in his home city.

Ray explained: “When we were in London, we lived quite near Brian Rix (the actor) and his wife Elspet Gray and we kept in touch after we moved. In 2000 I received a letter from Brian asking whether I would like to take part in a charity cycle ride he was organising for Mencap. It was 300 miles across Ireland and even though I was only what I suppose you would call a ‘recreational cyclist’ – 10 miles was quite far enough for me thank you – I decided to have a go.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it and it made me realise with a little bit of effort you can do anything. I raised around £4,000 from that, most coming from business contacts who probably thought I wouldn’t make it and they wouldn’t have to pay up! The ride was through some wonderful scenery, It was spread over a week, the hospitality was marvellous and the Guinness flowed. The other plus factors were that by the end I still had some feeling left in my backside and legs and there was also a great sense of achievement.”

That’s what started it all and got Ray planning a whole host of derring-do activities. While many folk spend their retirement years spending their children’s inheritance, there is always a point to Ray’s adventures. Everything is done to raise money for charity while his wife Margaret, sensibly some may feel, stays at home.

However, despite all his climbing, trekking, walking, cycling, boating and jumping out of things, Ray has never (touch wood) been seriously injured. Not even twisted an ankle.

He said: “I think the nearest I came was on a trek through Kazakhstan when a young lad in the party went behind a bush to have a pee and fell 200ft down a mountain. He hadn’t realised the bush was on the edge of a cliff, didn’t look properly and just disappeared. They had to get an army helicopter out to rescue him.

“Undoubtedly the most deadly was the Antarctica trip. Despite all the gear we had it was unbelievably cold and put you in complete awe of pioneers like Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton. Just getting to the mainland was a feat in itself. It was via a two-day boat trip from Ushuaia across Drakes Passage, considered by Sir Francis Drake to be the worst stretch of sea he ever sailed in. We then dog sledged into the Antarctic Circle just like the original explorers. Although these days nearly all transport is by motorised sledge.”

Currently the world map is out on Ray’s table with him considering what challenge to tackle next. It’s all for charities, including Mencap, Cancer Research and NSPCC. So if you’d like him to give one of his talks or slideshows, which as well as his adventures cover other topics from Woodbine Willie and Vesta Tilley to Triumph Motorcycles and the Swinging Sixties, his contact is: ray.sturdy@talk21.com Just make sure he doesn’t trip up the step on the way in.