Simon

Simon Mathews is an amazing man, but I’m fairly sure you’ve never even heard of him. He was an ordinary man from a regular family, living in just another English town. That is, until something extraordinary happened. His older brother, David, had always been a hero to Simon and when David completed the Berlin marathon using a pair of prosthetic legs, Simon got the necessary inspiration to start an amazing journey.

In 2009 Simon ran the London marathon, then the Marrakesh marathon and then the Rome marathon. You might not think this is such an amazing achievement, but he ran all three in just one month. By running in these marathons Simon helped to raise 30,000 for children’s charities.

The following year he climbed Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain and then followed it by conquering Everest, the world’s highest mountain. He planned to climb a third, Kilimanjaro, but halfway up weather forced him to turn back. In that year Simon raised over 50,000 for a local charity that supports the homeless.

By the next year he had decided to take up swimming. First he crossed the British channel and then narrowly failed to cross Lake Ontario but he did manage the 25 kilometers across the Red Sea. Again he managed to raise over 50,000, and this time he chose The Dogs Trust, a charity dedicated to helping find new homes for abandoned dogs.

Since then, Simon has been training for the big one. The next epic endurance test is a whopping 7,000-mile bike ride from the Netherlands to Vladivostok, Russia. He is presently training hard by cycling the hills near his home in Derbyshire. His charity this time is his most personal and noteworthy. The David Mathews foundation is a new charity that helps disabled people fulfill their sporting ambitions. Of course the charity was started by Simon to celebrate his brother’s achievement of completing the Berlin marathon against all expectations.

This year Simon was invited to meet the mayor in London where he was given a special award. Simon stood alongside other heroes who had raised money for hospitals, the elderly and special schools. Simon attended with his brother David, and in a warm acceptance speech he thanked his brother for being such a hero.