Clacton man to climb three mountains in a day then cycle 300 miles home for mental health charity
He's cycling all the way back from Wales
Last updated 9th May 2022
A man from Essex will climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, in just 24 hours, before cycling over 300 miles home to Clacton all to raise money for charity.
40 year old Phil Tomkins will undertake the challenge in just two weeks all for mental health charity, Mind, for which he's already raised nearly £5000, out of a target of £10,000.
He'll be supported by his friend Rob, who'll complete the three peaks with him and then drive the van back home as Phil cycles.
Phil says he's doing the tough challenge to help those struggling with their mental health: "If I can raise a little bit of money and awareness and help just one person, that's my job done."
For many, climbing three peaks in 24 hours would be enough of a challenge, but Phil wanted to make it even harder: "Someone said to me I should do something different because everyone does the three peaks, so I asked him what he suggested and he said I should cycle back home from Wales afterwards.
"Me being me said it sounded like a great idea. I only looked at the distance and realised it was a total of 328 miles afterwards!"
Despite the initial apprehension, he says training has been going well: "Being on a bike and covering that distance is easy but I need to do it for four days on the trot - that's the hardest thing.
"I know I'm physically ready, now I'm just preparing myself mentally."
Whilst the training may have been tough, Phil's found it's helped improve his own mental health: "I've benefitted massively. Since I decided to do the challenge and jump on a bike, my headspace is now in a much better place than it was last year.
"It's amazing to get out on a bike, in the countryside with nothing around you - it's as if nothing else matters."
Phil's already got plans to continue completing more challenges to raise even more money for Mind, with the hope that he'll be able to spread the message that it's good for men to talk about their feelings: "It doesn't matter who you are - everybody has got feelings.
"it feels like there's a sense around men that we're not allowed to talk about our mental health, but we are. We've all got feelings, and it's better to share them."