Swimming, cycling, running twice the height of Everest

Two years ago, Matthew Gibson, could barely run 5K and hadn’t peddled a push bike since he was a child.

Now the 37 year old from Guiseley is embarking on six-months of gruelling events including the world’s toughest extreme triathlon this weekend and two marathons.

He is pushing himself to the limit in aid of Access Adventures, a charity which introduces people with physical disabilities to outdoor adventure sports which was founded last year by Yorkshire Winter paralympian Jane Sowerby.

“Having started cycling two years ago - as well as running in the last year - I wanted to complete a series of events for a worthy cause,” explains Matt who work in IT.

“As a charity which allows individuals to regain confidence and self-belief through sport, Access Adventures was the perfect fit.”

Not content with one challenge, Matt is aiming to complete a total of seven events which equate to 600 miles swum, cycled and run, with 55,000 feet of climbing, to put it into perspective Mount Everest stands at 29,000 feet.

Having completed his first two events - the Fred Whitton Bike Sportive in the Lake District and ‘The Struggle’ - earlier this month, Matt is feeling confident about the next five challenges, although this weekend will be the biggest of the seven.

“The Fred Whitton and ‘The Struggle’ were challenging bike events as there was plenty of climbing, but they are what I am used to. This weekend is a much bigger challenge when I take part in what the organisers claim is the world’s toughest triathlon because of the climbs you have to run and cycle up.”

The Wasdale X ultra-distance triathlon is a total 140 miles and 17,000 feet of climbing (12,000ft of cycling, 5,000ft of running) and a two mile open water swim.

“I’ve never entered a triathlon before and I’m under no illusion how difficult this is going to be as this is the distance of an Ironman but over really tough terrain including running 4,000 feet up Scafell Pike and cycling up climbs such as Hardknot Pass,” says Matt.

“ Five months ago I couldn’t do 20m front crawl and this weekend, I’ll be swimming 3,800m and still require enough energy to cycle 112 miles and run almost 27.”

Matt, who is a member of the Alba Rosa Cycling Club in Leeds, sets off tomorrow for the event which starts early on Saturday morning. He has to complete the gruelling challenge in under 18 hours or he will be disqualified.

“I hope to do it in 16 to 17 hours and I have been doing a lot of training. I know that I can do the individual parts but I have never put them altogether before.”

But when the going gets tough Matt says he will just think of the cause he is raising money for and get encouragement from the crowds cheering him and the other competitors on.

“I want to raise at least £1,000 but I also want to raise awareness of this charity which is doing such incredible work. It is fairly new and isn’t that well known so it is about raising awareness as well as money.”

Just two weeks after the Wasdale triathlon, Matt will be travelling to the Alps to take part in the spectacular 90 mile Etape du Tour on the 10 July.

“The Etape is section of the Tour de France and we do to it just before the professionals,” explains Matt.

It involves four climbs, the biggest hitting 1,700metres (5,500ft)

Two weeks after the Etape Matt is taking part in the Ride London-Surrey, which will feel like a breeze after the other events.

“It’s a 100 mile ride from the centre of London, out to Surrey and back into London - finishing on The Mall near Buckingham Palace. Only 6,200 feet of hills this time,” laughs Matt.

After putting his bike firmly back on the rack, the running shoes come out for the Amsterdam Marathon on the 16 October with his final challenge – the Venice Marathon – completing the set later that month.

“I think after all that my wife will be quite pleased to see me,” says Matt who when not at work is in training.

“I try to mix it up, one day I will run to work the next I’ll cycle. My biggest challenge has been the swim. I have only done one open water swim last weekend in the Lake District which ended up being 5kms.

“I used to cycle quite a lot as a kid but hadn’t done anything for years until a couple of years ago when a friend suggested I take it up again and I joined the Alba Rosa Club. I did a couple of challenges and then decided I wanted to do something different and so I decided to combine all the events I’d seen other people do into one challenge.”

Jane Sowerby, founder of Access Adventures, said: “We can’t thank Matt enough for the unbelievable series of events he is entering for Access Adventures.

“Adaptive sports are expensive due to the tailored instruction and specialist equipment required and many people simply can’t afford to access them. With our camps over-subscribed, fundraisers like Matt are vital to enable us to expand our much-needed service.”

Access Adventures is a registered charity, organising residential camps to introduce people to waterskiing, wakeboarding, kiting, kayaking, biking, scuba diving and skiing. Adventure sports that many people with disabilities don’t even think are possible.

“The freedom of adaptive sports cannot be underestimated. After a freak fall which left me paralysed 13 years ago, I know first-hand the physical and psychological benefits, and now get the pleasure of witnessing the difference it makes to others.”

Find out more about Matt’s challenges by visiting http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MattsChallenges

Matt’s charaity challenges

May 8 the Fred Whitton bike sportive - 112 miles and 12,000 feet of climbing.

May 22- The Struggle. A ride covering 108 miles and 9,500 feet of hills in the Dales

June 25 - The Wasdale X iron-distance triathlon. A 2.4 mile swim in Lake Windermere, cycle the Fred Whitton route, followed by a marathon-distance run from Ambleside up to the top of Scarfell Pike and back down again.

July 10 - the Etape du Tour - 90 miles and 10,000 feet of hills in the French Alps.

July 31 - Ride-LondonSurrey. 100 mile ride from the centre of London, out to Surrey and back into London

October 16 - Amsterdam marathon

October 23 - Venice Marathon