Matt Bagwell: I Ran 21 Ultra Marathons In 21 Days

11/30/21 • 22 min

Matt Bagwell created an event called ‘Run the Country Ultra’, which saw him run more than 1m050km across England in September 2021 to raise funds and awareness for male suicide prevention and World Suicide Prevention Day.
He ran 21 consecutive ultra marathons (an ultra marathon is a distance past 26 miles) across England and raised more than £50,000 for charity for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).
Matt crossed 43 county borders in England before finishing in London on 5th October, and had an aim to help spread awareness of the sadly high male suicide rates and spread hope that it is always possible to ask for help.
Listen to our chat with Matt, where he speaks about what got him through the intense physical challenge, why our mindsets are so important, and shares tips and inspiration for others to take on their own challenge.
CHAPTER MARKERS:
1.23: Matt introduces his challenge
2.46: What inspired him to take it on
4.38: The impact of his fundraising
6.08: How (and why) he got others involved
8.39: How he managed to get through it
10.58: The importance of mindset
13.37: The finish line
16.24: Advice on fundraising challenges
18.58: What does defiant optimism mean to you?
20.25: Where find out more

Find out more about Run the Country Ultra: https://runthecountryultra.com/
Donate to Matt's JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/runthecountryultra
Support CALM: https://www.thecalmzone.net/

Next Episode

Joanna Stokoe: I Swam The English Channel Solo

Joanna Stokoe raised more than £15,000 in a solo charity swim across the English Channel, completing the 21-mile swim in 15 and a half hours.
As an oncologist, she chose to raise money for the Sussex Cancer Fund and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation – two charities that are connected with her day-to-day work with cancer patients.
She was preparing for the endurance swim for more than two years. On episode 4 of Defiant Optimism, we speak to her about what it took to train, what it's like to swim the English Channel, and how she managed to complete it.
CHAPTER MARKERS

0.00-1.40 - Introduction
1.40-2.49 - How you swim the English Channel
2.49-3.48 - The actual swim
3.48-7.06 - ’The difficult bit was the end’
7.06-10.41 - Smashing the fundraising target
10.41-12.59 - The impact on the charities
12.59-14.35 - The planning and prep
14.35-17.12 - ‘You have to think you can do it’
17.12-18.39 - Tips for fundraising challenges
18.39-21.11 - What does defiant optimism mean to you?

Follow Joanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoannaStokoe
Support and find out more about the Sussex Cancer Fund: https://www.sussexcancerfund.co.uk/
Support and find out more about the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation: https://roycastle.org/