‘We’re all very proud of Matthew’

A FORMER Leek man who has family in the town has completed six marathons in the gruelling desert.

Matthew Poole was brought up and went to school in Leek where his family members still live. After leaving Leek High School he joined the RAF and served for more than 10 years.

Now Matthew has taken part in what’s internationally ranked as ‘the toughest footrace on earth.’

The Marathon des Sables consists of six marathons in six days in the Sahara Desert, running on terrain much like the surface of the moon, encountering sand storms and scaling huge sand dunes while carrying all the food and safety equipment he needed weighing 21.5kg.

His target was to raise funds for his chosen charity “Walking with the Wounded”. Matthew’s current total stands at £6,000.

This is not the first tough challenge Matthew has taken part in. He has already done three Ironmen events plus several triathlons.

The idea to take part in the Marathon des Sables was a challenge Matthew set himself to mark his 50th birthday in June this year and he saw it as his “Ultimate Challenge”.

After crossing the finishing line Matthew sent a message to his family. He said: “I’ve had an amazing time, meeting great people, making amazing memories and hopefully inspiring my family and others. The messages and donations I have received during my time in the desert have kept me going, A huge part of my success is down to my family.” Matthew’s mum, Rose Chadwick of Leek, said: “We are all very proud of his achievement. Day four was particularly gruelling as it was 53 plus miles.”