A 24-hour tennis marathon has raised thousands in memory of tennis coach Ollie Toms.

Ollie set up 'Ollie's Tennis' in 2015, at age 26, and went on to teach tennis at Newport, Clavering and St Thomas More primary schools.

He was also club coach at Newport, Stansted and Much Hadham tennis clubs.

After emergency surgery for an undiagnosed heart condition in October 2023, he sadly died a few days later - aged just 35.

The 'Ollie4Ollie' tennis challenge was organised by Ollie's friend Ollie Clark, who is also a tennis coach at Dunmow Leisure Centre.

Play started at the leisure centre at 4pm on Friday, June 21, and finished at 4pm the following day. 

According to Ollie Toms' family, the turnout was "magnificent", with every one of the 24 hourly slots booked by friends, family and assistant coaches.

Ollie Toms' wife, parents and brother Simon all took part, and singles often became doubles, with play spilling over into the adjoining courts.

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At the end of the 24 hours, Ollie Clark was still standing and was congratulated by the large crowd for his feat of endurance.

Close to £9,100 has been raised so far, more than double the initial target, with donations still coming in to support the British Heart Foundation.

More donations can be made on the 'Ollie4Ollie' JustGiving page.