Spencer Matthews is just one day away from breaking the world record for ‘most consecutive marathons on sand’ during his epic desert challenge.
The 36-year-old reality star ran 30 desert marathons in Jordan in 30 days, during which he ate boiled goat head and lost a whopping 10 kilos.
Spencer has said he feels like he is being led on a gruelling journey by his late brother Michel, as he recounts The Mirror: ‘Every morning I prayed to Mike.’
Michael Matthews died while climbing Everest in 1999, when Spencer was just ten, becoming the youngest Briton ever to reach the summit at the age of 22.
He said he and his team were eating 7,000 calories a day as they ran through the 104-degree Fahrenheit desert and were camping without toilets or showers, which he described as hell.
Spencer Matthews, 36, is just one day away from breaking the world record for ‘most consecutive marathons on sand’ during his epic desert challenge
The reality star ran 30 desert marathons in 30 days in Jordan, during which he ate a boiled goat’s head and lost a whopping 10 kilos
He told the publication: “We felt incredibly uncomfortable the whole time.”
Spencer, a recovering alcoholic, also explained how the challenge has helped him deal with the shame of his addiction, which he has carried with him since quitting drinking in 2018.
‘I come from a situation where I was ashamed and I think I can say that I have never been so proud of myself as I am now.’
Last week he explained how he had lost so much weight during an appearance on Heart FM, saying: ‘I’ve now lost over 20 pounds. This is not how I would advise people to try to lose weight!
‘What we’re doing here is pretty extreme. Weight loss is definitely not a big deal here, but I burn over 7,000 calories a day, so replacing those calories is actually pretty tough.
‘Of course we’re quite tired during the day, it’s very, very hot here, so you’re constantly using energy. And yeah, I mean, I’m a hungry guy, and I love my food – but 7,000 calories is quite a lot to replace, so I’m getting smaller!’
Spencer continues: ‘But the body is a very special thing. It adapts to where you are, what you’re doing and what your circumstances are.
“I think at this point, after running 24 marathons in a row, my body is thinking, ‘Jesus, you could keep doing this!’ So it’s just shedding muscle. I gained a lot of weight and I’ve lost most of my muscle, so here we go.”
Spencer said he felt like his late brother Michel was guiding him on a grueling journey: “Every morning I prayed to Mike.”
He revealed how he and his team ate 7,000 calories a day while running through the 40-degree desert, while also camping without toilets or showers, which he called hellish
Michael Matthews died while climbing Everest in 1999, when Spencer was just ten, becoming the youngest Briton to ever reach the summit at the age of 22.
Spencer spoke about the dangers of running in the desert: ‘I almost stepped on a horned viper. I don’t want to make a big deal about it because of course nothing happened, but I didn’t see it.
‘I was driving through the desert with a tire track and this thing was pretty well camouflaged and I accidentally ran over it.
‘The guy behind me, Johnny, saw it and stopped. He saw that there was a snake. I turned around and looked at it.
“It turns out this thing can kill a camel in five minutes and kill a human much faster. I just want to reiterate that it didn’t attack us or anything, so I’m not pretending that it did.
‘But we were right next to it, I was lucky I didn’t step on it. I drove over it, literally, but I didn’t step on it.
Last week he explained how he had lost so much weight during an appearance on Heart FM, saying: ‘I’ve now lost over 20 pounds. This is not how I would advise people to try to lose weight!’
Spencer spoke about the dangers of running in the desert: ‘I almost stepped on a horned viper. I don’t want to make a big deal about it because of course nothing happened, but I didn’t see it.
‘There is no antidote for horned vipers – and that was all determined by our doctor – and the local Bedouins like to tell a story every now and then, so they would say something like, “If this thing bites you, you’re dead.”
Spencer will complete his challenge on Tuesday, and his family will be there to welcome him.
He was supported along the way by his family, his friends and, most recently, by Russ Cook, better known as The Hardest Geezer.
If anyone knows what Spencer is going through, apart from his running buddies, it’s Russ. In April, he became the first person to run the length of Africa.
With the run, the former Made In Chelsea star is also raising money for the charity Global’s Make Some Noise.
Global’s Make Some Noise aims to change lives across the UK by helping people cope with bereavement, mental health, illness and more, so that no one has to face life’s toughest challenges alone.
You can donate at https://spencer-matthews-challenge.raiselysite.com.
Spencer, who is currently running in Jordan, is expected to complete his challenge on Tuesday. His family will be there to meet him (all pictured in August)