Buxton dad targets Three Peaks in 24 hours to help fellow cancer patients

Kitchen designer Matt Heywood, 38, and a team of 20 friends, family and supporters will set out from the foot of Ben Nevis at 8am on Saturday with the aim of descending from Snowdon all together at dawn on Sunday.

He said: “It’s really about the strength of the whole group. I couldn’t have done any of this without them. From the training to the fundraising, they have helped me focus on something positive during quite a negative time.

“I think the biggest personal challenge will be keeping the group together. My parents taking this on with no real experience and there’s a mix of ages and abilities. We might not all cross the finish line at the same time, but I want to make sure everyone meets their own goals.”

Together with his partner, Nikki Hodgkinson, Matt has been trying to fit in twice-weekly training hikes for several months, along with more casual walks with their two daughters – but there have been bumps along the way as he received four rounds of immunotherapy, following surgery to remove his lymph nodes at the start of this year.

Matt said: “A few weeks ago I picked up a sickness bug. Normally it would have been a 48-hour thing, but because of the treatment I was badly ill for six days and had to be hospitalised.

“I lost a stone in weight, and couldn’t see any way through to be ready for the Three Peaks. Thankfully I’ve managed to put the weight back on and my fitness has just about returned to where it was.”

His recovery has been buoyed by donations of almost £6,000 in support of Melanoma Focus, a charity specialising in research and patient support for the same form of cancer.

Matt said: “It’s been overwhelming, and quite emotional. I can’t thank everybody enough. The whole team has helped towards that ultimate goal of raising awareness and money to support people through similar experiences.”

For updates on the challenge, follow facebook.com/mjheywood or instagram.com/hikewood_outdoors. To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/Matthew-Heywood84.

“In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together.” – Louise Cooper, editor.