Spencer Matthews is just one day away from breaking the world record for most consecutive marathons run on sand amid his epic desert challenge.
The 36-year-old reality star has run 30 marathons in the Jordanian desert in 30 days, during which she dined on a boiled goat’s head and lost a whopping 10kg.
Spencer has said he feels like he is being led on a grueling journey by his late brother Michel, who tells him The mirror‘Every morning I’ve said a prayer to Mike.’
Michael Matthews died while climbing Everest in 1999 when Spencer was just ten years old, becoming the youngest Briton to reach the summit at the age of 22.
He revealed how he and his team ate 7,000 calories a day while running through the desert in 40-degree heat and camping without toilets or showers, which he described as hellish.
Spencer Matthews, 36, is just one day away from breaking the world record for “most consecutive marathons run on sand” amid his epic desert challenge.
The reality star has run 30 marathons in the Jordanian desert in 30 days, during which she dined on a boiled goat’s head and lost a whopping 10 kilos.
“We’ve felt incredibly uncomfortable the whole time,” she told the publication.
Spencer, who is a recovering alcoholic, also explained how the challenge had helped him deal with the shame of addiction, which he has carried with him since getting sober in 2018.
“I came from a place of being quite ashamed of myself and I think it’s fair to say I’ve never been more proud of myself than I was in accomplishing this.”
Last week she explained how she had lost so much weight during an appearance on Heart FM saying: “I’ve lost over 10 stone now. This is not the way I would recommend people try to lose weight!”
“What we’re doing here is pretty extreme. Weight loss isn’t really the goal of this, but I’m burning over 7,000 calories a day, so replacing those calories is pretty difficult in itself.
“Obviously, we’re pretty tired during the day, it’s really hot here, so we’re constantly expending energy. And yeah, I mean, I’m a hungry guy and I love food, but 7000 calories is pretty hard to replace, so I’m losing weight!”
Spencer continued: ‘But the body is a really amazing thing; it adapts to where you are, what you’re doing, what your circumstances might be.
“I think at this stage, having run 24 consecutive marathons, my body is no longer thinking, ‘Gosh, you could still do this! ‘ So you’re just losing muscle. I came in a lot heavier at the top and I’ve lost most of my muscle, so there it is.”
Spencer has said he feels as if his late brother Michel is guiding him on a grueling journey, saying, “Every morning I’ve said a prayer to Mike.”
He revealed how he and his team consumed 7,000 calories a day while running through the desert in 40°C heat, and also camped without toilets or showers, which he described as hellish.
Michael Matthews died while climbing Everest in 1999 when Spencer was just ten years old, becoming the youngest Briton to reach the summit at the age of 22.
Speaking about the dangers of running in the desert, Spencer revealed: “I almost stepped on a horned viper. I don’t want to overdramatise the situation, because of course nothing happened, but I didn’t see it.
‘I was out in the desert on a tire track, and this thing is pretty well camouflaged, and I accidentally ran over it.
‘The guy behind me, Johnny, noticed and stopped because there was a snake, and I turned around and looked at it.
“It turns out this thing kills a camel in five minutes and can kill a human much faster than that. I just want to reiterate that it didn’t attack us or anything, so I’m not pretending it did.
‘But we were right next to it, I was very lucky not to step on it. I ran over it, literally, but I didn’t step on it.
Last week, during an appearance on Heart FM, she explained how she had lost so much weight: “I’ve already lost over 10 stone. This is not how I would advise people to try and lose weight!”
Speaking about the dangers of running in the desert, Spencer revealed: “I almost stepped on a horned viper. I don’t want to overdramatise the situation, because of course nothing happened, but I didn’t see it.”
‘There is no antidote for horned vipers, and all this is found out by our doctor, and the local Bedouins love to tell a story from time to time, so they would say, “If this thing bites you, you’re dead.”
Spencer is scheduled to finish his challenge on Tuesday, and his family will be there to greet him.
His family, friends, and most recently Russ Cook, better known as The Hardest Geezer, have supported him along the way.
If anyone knows what Spencer is going through, other than his running mates, it’s Russ, who, in April, became the first person to run the entire length of Africa.
With the run, the former Made In Chelsea star is also raising money for Global’s Make Some Noise charity.
Make Some Noise by Global aims to change lives across the UK by helping people overcome grief, mental health problems, illness and much more, ensuring that no one is left alone to face life’s toughest challenges.
You can donate at https://spencer-matthews-challenge.raiselysite.com.
Spencer, currently running in Jordan, is scheduled to finish his challenge on Tuesday, and his family will be there to greet him (all pictured in August).