Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge – the final update!

Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge – Completed!

Phil Martin, HILS Director of Services, took on the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge at the beginning of May to raise money for HILS. Here we have his final blog post, all about the big walk. 

“I’m really pleased (and slightly relieved!) to share that I successfully completed the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge on the 3^rd May – a 107km continuous walk around the island.

It was an incredibly tough but rewarding experience. The route took us right around the coastline, with a mix of steep climbs, long stretches, and some pretty challenging night sections. At one point it rained pretty heavily for a solid couple of hours, which made things even tougher underfoot, but thankfully the sun came out afterwards and everything gradually dried up.

There were definitely moments where it felt tough going, but the atmosphere, the sense of achievement, and knowing the support behind me kept me moving forward. I even had a slightly surreal moment in the middle of the night – the most random thing I saw on the way round was the original double decker bus used in the Spice Girls movie from the 90s, sitting in a boatyard!

I completed the full distance in 25 hours and 20 minutes, which I’m really proud of. It pushed me physically and mentally further than I’ve gone before, but it was all worth it.

Thanks to the incredible support from colleagues, friends and family, I’ve now raised £1,255 (plus Gift Aid) in support of HILS. This will go directly towards helping people stay independent, safe and supported in their own homes.

I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone at HILS for your encouragement, kind messages, and generous donations. Your support genuinely made a difference, especially during the more difficult stages.

Thanks again for all your support!”

Massive congratulations to Phil for completing this gruelling challenge! If you’re inspired to take on your own fundraising challenge, we can help support you, please just get in touch! Alternatively, its not too late to sponsor Phil  – head to his Just Giving page here.