As you know, earlier this year I decided to complete three challenges for charity.

I have now completed all three, thank the Lord!

I have  completed the mountain climb up Mount Toubkal in May, the Blenheim Triathlon in June and the last challenge, the 100 mile cycle from Oxford in September,

I started out looking to raise £20,000 in total, to be split equally with £10,000 going to Jason Leonard’s Atlas Foundation and £10,000 going to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) and I am delighted to tell you that I have exceeded that total number, raising over £21,000. 

But I know some of you have been waiting a) to see if I completed all three before donating and b) would I live to tell the tale! 

Well you doubting Thomas's I have done it so please don’t be bashful any longer, feel free to donate away, my pages will be open until 30th November - although why wait until then, today is as good a day as any!

I am excited to see the work that Atlas are doing, and will do, with young, deserving children and the contribution towards GOSH means that we are within touching distance at Thomsons of raising the £208,000 we need to complete the funding of a cystic fibrosis treatment room and gym in the new wing they are building.

These will be amazing things for amazing people, and through your amazing contributions you have helped drive an old bloke, like me, to push myself harder than I thought I could be pushed.

Being honest, I found the 100 mile cycle and Blenheim triathlon just about within my comfort zone, (after all I have done them before individually in different years) although doing the long cycle with a heavy cold, a high temperature and a chesty cough to boot wasn’t a brilliant idea, and added a certain je ne c’est quoi to the challenge, extending my illness by three weeks in the process!

But the climb up MtToubkal, now that was altogether a different level, the hardest thing I have ever done in my life but I did it..I did it because you sponsored me, I did it because I couldn’t let you or my charities down.

Those of you that know me well will know I don’t give up, I am a tenacious and stubborn so-and-so, I always keep on driving myself , but there were times in that two days and 14,000 odd feet climb that I wanted to stop, it hurt, a lot, especially ironically on the way down. But I didn’t give up, and that is, in part, down to you - so thank you… 

So now the dust has settled, I can reflect and wonder what does it all mean, as well as  and what happens next.

Well it has kept me fitter this year than ever before, I have lost a good chunk of weight this year, there is a fair amount to shift after all and I would still like to shift 15kgs more, but for now, you will be delighted to know that  Michael’s 2016 triple challenge is over, well just about, just a few laggard donations to sweep up as I alluded to earlier.

I also hope that by my actions I might inspire a few of you to do something yourself, you are never too young or old my friends to take action and do something brave and challenging.

And what happens next? I hear you ask in trepidation.... 

Good question. Well of course Jason’s annual dinner for the Altlas Foundation has come around again, only this time I remember every moment, and willingly agreed to a 4 day hike in Iceland next year, culminating climbing up, into and, touch wood, out of a live volcano,
with hopefully a sighting of the northern lights to boot.

Please don’t worry and start running for cover, I am not going to start stalking all of you individual donors again for more donations as I know that we all get a bit charity fatigued after a while…but for all you lovely businesses and suppliers maybe I will come-a-knocking… we will just have to see :-)

And finally, many people have asked me what Marrakech was like, two days relaxing with the living legend that is Jason Leonard after two days climbing a mountain with him.

Well let’s just say it is impossible to say between the two which was more a tour de force, which was my harder mountain to climb..

Mt Toubkal the earthy mountain or Jason Leonard a very different variety of earthy mountain, both tested me to the outer levels of my ability, willpower and endurance!

All the very best, have a peaceful, and happy end to this year, for those of you in the US, enjoy a great Thanksgiving,  to everyone a very merry festive season and then bring on 2017!

Michael x