Amid all the despair and tragedy emerging from the coronavirus crisis, there are still a few tales that have allowed us to raise a smile and a cheer in the past few weeks but perhaps the mo🌳st heart-warming of all has been the funཧdraising efforts of Captain Tom Moore.

Captain Moore, 99, began a sponsored walk around his Bedfordshire garden hoping to complete 1🔯00 laps – zimmer frame and all – before his 100th birthday in an effort to raise £1,000 for the NHS, sayi𝔉ng it was his way of giving thanks to the ‘magnificent’ service.

Incredibly, his story spread like wildfire across social media – helped along by a number of celebrity ꦬwell-wishers - and Captain Moore beca꧒me headline news around the world. More than that though, donations flooded in so that by the time he completed his 100th lap the pot totalled more than £30million.

Now standing at almost £33million just days after celebrating his birthday, Captain Tom Moore has become an i𒀰nspiration for all and went on to earn the praise of 🗹Lewis Hamilton, who highlighted his achievements on social media and branded him a ‘legend’.

As it so happens, Captain Moore is an av🐬id motorsport fan – and former motorcycle racer – so Hamilton’s praise certainly ranks higher than most. Fortunately for the six-time world champion, Captain Moore is also a big supporter of Hamilton as he revealed in a Sky Sports F1 vo🐼dcast in which he tipped him to be match Michael Schumacher’s seven titles.

“Of course he can! Never let that be ♕a doubt in your mi💦nd - of course he will.

“He hasn't finished yet, he's not an old man, he's still a young man. He can keep going for a long time, it just depends on whether the c🔯ar can keep ahead as they are now. But there are other cars who are doing the best to catch up and pass Mercedes."