Man completes 30 Bays challenge in one day for mum

A Guernsey man has taken on an enhanced version the 30 Bays in 30 Days challenge, by completing the event within 24 hours.

The challenge, in aid of Les Bourgs Hospice, saw Matt Holland run to each of the island's 30 bays and swim in them.

The sailing instructor took on the feat in memory of his mum Sam, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) and cared for at Guernsey's Les Bourgs Hospice in her final months.

Mr Holland said he was in "slight disbelief" he had completed the challenge, clocking up more than 30 miles (50km) during his run.

Mr Holland said: "It's crazy starting the challenge, you start over at the bathing pools and you don't quite register what the challenge is going to be like.

"As you get onto that first run you're going okay, this could be me for the next eight, nine, ten hours."

He was joined on the route by friend Ellie Tanguy, who works at Les Bourgs Hospice.

She said she cycled from the bathing pools and ran with Matt along the south coast.

"I get to see first hand everyday what the girls and guys at Les Bourgs do," she added.

"I work there so it's really amazing to be able to support them and to have worked with Sam while she was up at Les Bourgs."

"She was an incredible person to be doing this for."

Mr Holland said it was "amazing" to experience the sense of community during the challenge which included "people showing up at different bays to join me, even mum's old friends".

"One of the first things my mind turned to on that first run was what my mum would say and I decided she'd be going, 'you're absolutely bonkers'", he added.

Mr Holland ended his challenge at Fermain, which he said was a special place for his family.

He said: "It's where both my grandparents' ashes have been scattered and that's where my mum said she'd like hers to be scattered as well, so it was really nice to be able to jump off the steps and swim ashore."

Mr Holland and Ms Tanguy said they finished the journey just before 21:00 BST on Monday "which was a bit slower than we would have liked", but they had raised "nearly three times the amount we originally hoped".

"I'm going to take a little bit of time, forget just how much I'm hurting today and then I might think about doing something else," Mr Holland added.

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