Young Owls superfan is going the distance for his cousin

Shay O’Grady, whose beloved cousin Evie-Mae is supported by Bluebell Wood, has already doubled his initial target of £1,000.

Shay’s cousin has an extremely rare chromosome deletion disorder, which means she can’t walk or talk and needs round the clock care.

Last year the inspirational youngster managed to raise a phenomenal £5,000 with a sponsored walk from the hospice to Hillsborough ahead of the Steel City derby.

Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri was so impressed with his efforts that he matched the amount he’d raised, taking it to a grand total of £10,000.

And now Shay has already completed 192 lengths of his 240 length swimming challenge in an effort to keep raising money.

Shay’s dad Jason said: “We’re all so proud of Shay for what he’s doing.

“He’s not a natural swimmer so it’s taken serious dedication to get up every Sunday at 7am and get in the pool.

“It’s not just about the swimming either – it’s all the other little things along the way.

“He’s been on BBC Radio Sheffield a number of times and he’s spoken to most of the Sheffield Wednesday squad and the chairman about his triathlon - it doesn’t seem to faze him at all.

“To have raised so much already is just fantastic and I know he wants to raise as much as possible for his cousin Evie-Mae who he loves to bits, everyone just wants to get behind him.”

The grand finale of his challenge is on February 8 when he’ll walk from Hillsborough to Barnsley FC’s Oakwell stadium ahead of the South Yorkshire derby, before tandem cycling with his cousin Karl all the way back.

As well as the triathlon Shay and his dad have done various other fundraisers, including raffling off numerous signed items gifted by Owls’ players, including a pair of Barry Bannan’s football boots.

To support Shay’s efforts, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com.