He pushed himself to the limits of his physical endurance in the name of the charity he created after the death of his young daughter, Azaylia.
And tireless campaigner Ashley Cain has revealed it is the belief that his daughter is waiting at the finish line that keeps him going where many others would give up.
Former Ex On The Beach star Cain, 33, launched the Azaylia Foundation following the death of his eight-month-old daughter with ex-partner Safiyya Vorajee from an aggressive form of leukaemia in April 2021.
Since then, he has raised thousands of dollars by taking on a series of grueling challenges, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and completing an Ultraman event, which involves a grueling 900-mile run, a 925-mile bike ride and a 950-mile sea kayak crossing.
He now stars in BBC’s Into The Danger Zone, a six-part series in which the TV personality travels to some of the world’s most dangerous places.
Ashley Cain has revealed what keeps him going when many others would give up during his numerous physical challenges in the name of the charity set up following the death of his daughter.
Former Ex On The Beach star Cain, 33, launched the Azaylia Foundation following the death of his eight-month-old daughter with ex-partner Safiyya Vorajee from leukaemia in April 2021.
And Cain admits that it is the image of Azaylia waiting for him that motivates him.
He told TThe sun“I had this illusion that after a challenge, she would be there. Every challenge I face, I overcome it hoping to see her (Azaylia) at the end, but I never do.”
He added: ‘Facing challenges and fighting through pain is the only way I know how to show her that I love her.
“I don’t do these things because I like the risk. I do them because nothing means more to me in this world than making a difference for children with cancer.”
Cain admits that channeling his energy into exhaustive feats has also served as a form of therapy and a way to deal with the pain of losing a child.
“I have a lot of pain, anger and trauma,” she explained. “Facing these challenges is my way of doing therapy. It’s my way of processing everything and giving myself self-esteem and confidence.”
Cain, who welcomed son Aliyas with an unnamed couple six months ago, previously told MailOnline that he suffered some serious injuries as a result of his numerous charitable efforts.
He said: “I’m mentally battered, I’m physically battered and I’m emotionally battered. I think the physical pain is the least of my worries because I think mentally, if you want it bad enough and it means enough to you, you can always get through it and move on.”
Tireless activist Cain has revealed that it is her memory that keeps him going every time he takes on a new challenge.
Cain, who welcomed son Aliyas with an unnamed couple six months ago, previously told MailOnline that he suffered some serious injuries as a result of his charitable efforts.
“I’ve had multiple muscle tears. I’ve run the last six marathons with stress fractures in my shins.”
Cain said that once at sea he realised he was surrounded by ‘hundreds of thousands’ of jellyfish and when he rows to Scotland he will face head-on the risks of orcas and killer whales.
The very real dangers Cain faced meant that previous negative experiences, such as road rage and social media bullying, no longer bothered him.
She said: “It’s not normal, but then I start to understand what’s serious. So when I come back and see some negative comment, it doesn’t really matter.”
‘I think that person who made that comment probably didn’t get out of bed that day. They’re probably sitting at home very unhappy and whatever they have to say won’t have any impact on my life.
“But I can make sure I have an impact on my life and the lives of hundreds, if not millions, of others every day by doing what I do.”
He revealed that while he and Aliyas’ mother, who has not been identified, are not together, they will remain friends because they love and respect each other.
He revealed that although he and Aliyas’ mother, who has not been identified, are not together, they will remain friends because they love and respect each other.
“We’re still friends and we’re co-parenting. We have a really good relationship, so that’s how it stays,” she said.
‘It’s been really lovely to be able to get along, not in a friendly way, but so well, even better, we both have Aliyas’ best interests at heart.
‘We both love and respect each other. And we both want to be the best parents we can be. And not just enjoy our child, but allow ourselves to enjoy ourselves and life to the fullest.
“So we’re doing everything. It’s very convenient. It’s very easy. And we’re making the best decisions based on our son, so that’s great.”