Killer charity challenge completed

13th September 2011

Extreme Mountain Biker completes Killer charity challenge

9 September 2011

A North East adventure seeker has completed a unique and epic off-road challenge, raising over £5,500 for local disability charity, Calvert Trust Kielder.

Matt Jones, Senior Project Officer at Sustrans in Newcastle, set himself the challenge of cycling 100 miles in the Montane Kielder 100, paddling 5 miles in a kayak across Kielder Water and then running the gruelling 26 miles around the Lakeside Way, all in the space of 24 hours.

After 12 months of training, on Saturday 3 September Matt became the first person to complete his self-designed challenge Killer Kielder, and managed to do so in just 18 hours and 15 minutes. He said:

“I am really proud that after all of the training, hard work and effort I achieved the ultimate aim of completing the challenge, especially after only 177 out of 800 entrants made it through the Montane Kielder 100, which was only the beginning for me!

“There were some really difficult points in the challenge, particularly with the horrendous weather which made the bike section cold, wet and slow going, but my highlight of the whole thing was seeing a big group of Calvert Trust guests standing in the rain with signs they had made. Their support was a real motivator and reminded me of why I was putting myself through the challenge in the first place.

“I was keen to support Calvert Trust Kielder as in the same way I was setting myself the biggest challenge of my life Calvert Trust enables people to overcome theirs everyday.

“Although I did a fair bit of training I stand by my assertion that it is all about mind over matter. I would encourage anyone to get out there and set themselves a challenge in aid of a good cause as there really is no feeling like achieving the ‘unthinkable’.

“I’d like to thank everyone who made the challenge possible, particularly my sponsors Bruichladdich Whisky, M Steels Cycles, Exposure Lights, Purple Mountain and Perro”.

Calvert Trust Kielder helps more than 5,000 people with a range of disabilities each year to realise their potential through the challenge of outdoor activities, for more information on the charity please visit www.calvert-trust.org.uk.

To sponsor Matt Jones for his Killer Kielder achievement please visit www.justgiving.com/killerkielderchallenge and to see more pictures and read about Matt’s journey please go to www.killerkielder.co.uk.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

• Calvert Trust Kielder was formed in 1984
• Each year the Trust provides challenging outdoor adventure and activity holidays for 5000 children and adults with physical, sensory and learning disabilities from the Northeast and rest of the UK.

For further information contact Hazel Munro on 01434 250232 or hazel.munro@calvert-kielder.com.