Buxton dad conquers 3 Peaks in scorching 24 hours for skin cancer charity

Father-of-two Matt Heywood, 38, struck out from the foot of Ben Nevis at 8am last Saturday morning, and descended from Snowdown 23 hours and 40 minutes later – among 15 out of 20 friends and family to complete the challenge.

Matt, a kitchen designer for Studio 10 in Bakewell, said: “None of us could have expected the pace required against that heat. Even our guide said they was the hottest and most difficult conditions he’d faced. For 15 of us to get over the line is remarkable. I’m a little stiff but otherwise ok.

“It was gruelling. My tank was completely empty for Snowdon, it was just willpower and determination to get to the summit. At the top, we knew we had enough time for the descent so the celebrations carried us down. It was very powerful, very emotional. There have been lots of tears but most of them in joy.”

Each year, around 30,000 people attempt the challenge but only around 40 per cent do so within the 24 hour window, of which 12.5 are spent on foot.

Daytime temperatures pushed past 30°C and never dropped below 20°C overnight. The first of the group to cross the line arrived in 26 minutes before Matt, the last was four minutes after.

Matt said: “It’s a big logistical challenge as much as anything. It’s taken months of planning and it’s like a military operation where every minute matters but everyone was buzzing off that joint commitment. The sense of relief at the end was overwhelming.

"My partner, Nikki, was one of those who didn’t complete the whole challenge, but she deserves a massive thank you. She was completely out of her comfort zone but she gave up so much to make sure I’d be ready, all while working part-time and being a full-time mum. She’s been a pillar of strength.”

Through pain, blisters, dehydration, fatigue and calories loss, the group’s motivation was maintained by a donations to their fundraising for Melanoma Focus – some £5,000 in the past few days.

For Matt, it justified every step along the way and put a different spin on his own ongoing experience of the disease, as he prepares this week to begin the fifth of nine rounds of immunotherapy.

He said: “It feels like a conclusion to a really difficult 14 months. Although I’m not out of the woods, I’m in a much better place than I was a year ago. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.

“To raise awareness and money has really kept me in check. It’s given us goals and we’ve made new friends. The the reward has been massive. It’s ticked every box. I can’t thank the whole group enough.

“It’s also opened my eyes more to other people’s suffering, the stress and anxiety everyone goes through around cancer. I spoke to the chief executive of Melanoma Focus this morning and we’re already planning a new fundraising challenge for next year.”

To add to Matt’s final total, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/matthew-heywood84. For more updates, see facebook.com/mjheywood or instagram.com/hikewood_outdoors.

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