Matt Hollingham

31/07/2026

Thank you everyone for everything! Almost $40,000 raised for children’s charities and the Be More Lovisa scholarship Penn State University . I understand this was below my goal of $250,000, but this is not the end, and barely the beginning. There are too many people to thank individually, but just know that over the next few days I am thinking of you all. Although physically I feel dreadful, my soul is filled with gratitude. I am so unbelievably delighted I got to share Lovisa with all of you. Thank you. Time to finally take a day off.

31/07/2026

I have swam 4km across the Arctic circle, run 37 back to back marathons, cycled 3000km through 8 countries, for 61 continuous days, then ran another final marathon, pushing through a strained quad, forest fires, 2 heatwaves, a broken down support vehicle, toxic air, heatstroke, mild hypothermia, ~25lbs of weight loss, convulsions, a whole continent, splitting knee pain, 2 days without any gear, shaking hands unable to hold a pen, an entire World Cup, and grief. All to raise money for children’s charities and the Be More Lovisa scholarship.

I did it all for Lovisa, and I would do it again to see her one more time.

29/07/2026

Day 60: ONE DAY LEFT. ONE! Tomorrow I cycle on an absolutely disgusting dual carriage way (the only path really available) and climb yet another mountain, but that will be the final climb, and the final road, of this triathlon.

I cannot thank everyone enough for your support. For the donations, shares, kind words, messages and prayers. It’s all been well and truly amazing to have you all on my side, and I just hope tomorrow I can finish strong and make Lovisa proud.

28/07/2026

Day 59: An incredibly hot and sweaty day today - spending 3 full hours cycling uphill in 30-40C. This was probably one of, if not the hardest cycle so far. The start was just unrelenting, and Spain is far too mountainous and arid to be legally considered a cycling country.

On a positive, I can almost taste the end. What has been an impossible dream is slowly becoming a vivid picture, something I can imagine without dread. I have been deliberately avoiding visualising the ending for 2 months now, so now that it is here, what warmth. To see my family, to see my girlfriend, this is all I want right now. No amount of trembling hands, knee pain, heatstroke, sweat or blood can stop me. I just want this to be over.

Thank you everyone who has donated and supported this - we are going to make a concerted effort to share the final post as much as possible, so we would appreciate all the help we can get. Thank you all!

27/07/2026

Day 58: Another day trying to avoid the wildfires, and a logistical nightmare. Tomorrow to avoid the heat warning (40C/110F) and the wildfires, I need to start before 6am, in a location that is a 2 hour drive away. Not to mention the Volvo is stuck and broken in France, and the Volvo dealership is unwilling to repair it due to very unclear reasons involving holidays and backlogs. However, through communicating via google translate with a tow truck company, and leaving it under a tree, a solution is emerging, but it is eye wateringly complex and unnecessary.

This is also the worst I have felt so far. I have been convulsing the last two days on the indoor bike. My HRV measured by my smartwatch (essentially the measure of fatigue) has hit a record low. My range is 65-84, well rested I am in the 90’s, and last night it was 49. My resting heart rate is 61, 15 above my average.

All this data is to say that I feel awful, with a thumping headache from the air pollution. Forest fires, heatwaves, breakdowns, punctures, heatstroke, convulsions, nausea: it’s as if nature doesn’t want this to happen.

26/07/2026

Day 57: There is a fire in the way - and I am not arrogant enough to think I can beat it. Madrid is in a state of emergency, 200,000 have been evacuated in Spain and France, and its smoke blocks my path almost directly, and it’s a 600km diversion around it. I have trained my body and my mind for this triathlon, but I have not trained my lungs to tolerate toxic particulates.

So - I have found a local gym, and I have cycled ~240km in 10 hours. I did 6 hours on one bike, started convulsing, and have switched to another. I have a bag of food next to me, two water bottles, and access to a bathroom and a water fountain. I was thinking at the start of the day this would be easy, but it’s absolutely miserable. Being in a sterile and clean room as you shovel sweets and cereal bars into your mouth while dripping in a 10 hour sweat patch. Not quite a day off.

25/07/2026

This really connects the why of fundraising. Thank you so much Centre County YSB for this amazing collection of postcards - this is a beautiful collection of messages to receive, and I’m just honoured and privileged for the opportunity to support such a wonderful group of people. You do incredible work, helping wonderful children flourish. I am going to frame a few of these at home.

25/07/2026

Day 56: The temperature is down, but the air quality is dangerous. The forest fires are ripping west of Madrid, and the air is moving east towards us. Tomorrow, the air quality index is rated at the highest level as “Emergency conditions for public health, the entire population can be seriously affected”.

Aside from that today wasn’t too bad.

We are in a nice little town, there was a slight thunderstorm but I was only in it for 15 mins, and we are only in the ‘unhealthy’ air pollution zone, not the ‘Hazardous’. A good day in my books.

24/07/2026

23/07/2026

Day 54: Truly an awful day. The heat was unrelenting, the hills were atrocious, and tomorrow is the hardest day of all. 54 days without a rest day and I’m paying the price. Tomorrow I cross the Pyrenees mountain range, during a yellow heat advisory, for 180km. This may be the most physically challenging day of my life. Or more accurately - the most physically challenging day of my life, so far. My alarm is set for 3:45am.

Thank you YSB for the lovely letters, they did brighten me after all of this, and they are truly lovely. You do incredible work in our community, and I’m just glad I get to be a small part of that. Thank you!