After 21 days, seven continents and a challenge that repeatedly pushed him beyond exhaustion, Spencer Matthews has completed PROJECT SE7EN – finishing his seventh full-distance triathlon in Antarctica to set a new benchmark for ultra-endurance and raise vital awareness for men’s mental health.
Matthews – an entrepreneur who has swapped reality TV fame for a life currently focussed on extreme endurance – took on the epic quest in aid of James’ Place, the men’s suicide-prevention charity.
What started early in the dark, cold waters of London three weeks ago has now ended in one of the most hostile environments on Earth as he battled the ice and winds of Antarctica to finish the most dangerous and unpredictable chapter of the entire journey.
Remarkably he had never completed a full-distance triathlon – which is a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride and a run marathon – until this challenge, though 30 marathons in 30 consecutive days across desert terrain last year and other endurance feats had given him a taste of what was likely to be in store.
Brutal reminder
When he spoke to us beforehand here at TRI247, the seventh leg in Antarctica was the one that worried him most given the margin for error was almost zero.
The weather window proved to be small too. He and his team had to twice delay the start, explaining: “Extreme conditions mean that starting an attempt today would be foolish and dangerous… This weather is a brutal reminder of how quickly this environment can change and become even more hostile.
“Our flight out of here is scheduled for Friday and the race is likely to take upwards of 30 hours so every moment we wait takes us uncomfortably closer to our cut-off…”
And when the green light came, the toughest leg of the swim suddenly became a reality. He’d admitted the danger of leopard seals had given him nightmares in the build up so when he was able to tick off the 3.8km battle through icy waters, the significance was obvious.
Posting on Instagram, he said: “Antarctic swim DONE 💥
“I can’t tell you what this one means to me…. Easily the most dangerous element of the entire challenge and probably my greatest fear of the last nine months. Thoughts of swimming in freezing water for nearly two hours in an area know for it’s dangerous wildlife have woken me on numerous occasions and caused me quite considerable worry.
“I can’t believe it’s now behind me… I’ll never put myself in that position again. Thanks to my incredible team for the support.”
‘I was literally falling asleep riding’
It wasn’t exactly plain sailing after that, but the finish line was at least in sight.
Next up was 180km on the bike – where the mental challenge of 450 loops of 400m was arguably as tough to handle as the physical aspect.
But then came the update everyone wanted to hear: “Antarctic bike DONE 💥💥
“18 HOURS 50 MINUTES.
“What a wild experience that was!!! Cycling most of yesterday and all of last night… Towards the end I was literally falling asleep riding. Freezing, rough, slow, painful. The longest activity of the entire challenge.”
‘Pushed me to the extent of my limits’
The final marathon continued the confrontation with the elements, with exhaustion, and with himself.
But the end of a journey of perseverance finally came early on Friday local time when he crossed the finish line and said: “AFTER A 28 HOUR 51 MINUTE WAR WITH ANTARCTICA, I’M DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE JOB IS DONE…. I DID IT, PROJECT SE7EN IS COMPLETE!!!
“WHAT A MAD MOMENT THIS IS!! 💥💥💥
“I’m now a 3 x Guinness World Records holding athlete. 👊
“The two new records are:
“🏆 Fastest 140.6-mile triathlon on Antarctica (28 hours 51 minutes 11 seconds)
“🏆 Fastest time to complete a 140.6-mile triathlon on seven continents (21 days 9 hours 18 minutes)
“Chris (@taylorchristaylor), Matt (@stonevisualsuk), Jonny (@adventure_physio) & Tom, thanks for your incredible support without which this wouldn’t be possible. It’s a real privilege to work with you all.
“PROJECT SE7EN pushed me to the extent of my limits and back and I’ll always remember it for the astounding journey that it’s been.
How the challenge played out
The mission began with momentum in London and quickly turned brutal in Arizona, where he described himself and teammate Chris Taylor as being “somewhere near Hell” during the final miles of IRONMAN Arizona. After that, each new continent brought its own test.
Cape Town pushed him deeper into fatigue. Perth threatened to break his sleep cycle entirely. Dubai layered heat on top of exhaustion. Rio de Janeiro hit him with humidity and emotional drain.
And then it all came down to Antarctica – and in between of course were all the logistics and extra stresses of travelling around the world while also trying to recover for the next leg.
But this was always about much more than the miles.
PROJECT SE7EN was created to raise funds and awareness for James’ Place, the suicide-prevention charity that supports men in crisis. He told us at the start that it was all about “having a meaningful impact” – it was his ‘why’ and the greater purpose which helped carry him through.
To put things into context, Matthews somehow condensed the previous world record of four years into a matter of weeks.
In the coming days he will return home, decompress and reflect. There will be much to catch up on with his three children and wife Vogue Williams, who has just had her own amazing jungle challenge in ITV’s ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here’.
We’ll catch up with Spencer next week to hear much more about what he’s accomplished and been through – and possibly what’s coming next.
- James’ Place which offers free, life-saving therapy for men in suicidal crisis. For more details or if you’d like to donate, click here.
