After 21 days, seven continents and a challenge that pushed him further than anything he has attempted before, Spencer Matthews says the emotion that keeps rising to the surface is one he didn’t fully expect: pride.
Just three weeks after completing his first ever full-distance triathlon, the 37-year-old has now completed seven of them – on seven continents – to set a new Guinness World Record and raise vital awareness for James’ Place, the men’s suicide-prevention charity.
And while he’s still processing the reality of what he put his body and mind through, when he sat down with TRI247 he told us the true significance of it only really hit him the moment he arrived home.
“James’ Place were deeply moved by it – they surprised me at the airport. Clare Milford Haven, James’ mother, was in tears. It made it all make sense,” he explained. “There were moments where you wonder why you’re doing it. And then you realise you actually don’t fully know – until that moment.”
Calm before the storm
When Matthews first stepped into the Royal Docks in London to begin PROJECT SE7EN, he spoke of the “calm and peace” he found in the early-morning water.
Three weeks later, he stepped into the freezing water in Antarctica — and this time, calm was nowhere to be found.
He had seven wildlife spotters monitoring for leopard seals. He had spent nine months fearing the swim. And the moment he jumped into the water, everything felt on the limit.
“It was life-threatening if you got it wrong,” he told us. “My face went completely numb, I lost the use of my left hand, and I was swallowing so much water that I was vomiting during the swim. I felt boiling hot inside the thick wetsuit but freezing on the outside. It was horrible – an hour and 48 minutes of heavy discomfort.”
And that was just the beginning of the final Ironman.
“At my lowest point… I’m not suffering as much as a suicidal man”
No amount of physical preparation could remove the simple fact that Matthews was exhausted. The distances hurt. The logistics were relentless. Antarctica stretched him to breaking point.
But whenever despair crept in, the purpose behind the challenge – and the men James’ Place supports – always cut through the noise.
“At my lowest point of suffering, I’m not suffering as much as a suicidal man. That was always front and centre. Remember why you’re doing this,” he says he repeatedly told himself.
He is clear that Project SE7EN wasn’t purely selfless – he thrives on challenge, adventure and exploring the limits of his own resilience.
But helping James’ Place save lives?
That, he says, changes everything.
“If we save even one life because of this, then absolutely – it’s worth it.”
A strangely peaceful 18-hour bike ride
With the airstrip closed due to weather, Matthews ended up riding the bulk of his Antarctic bike leg on a 200-metre icy stretch, turning back and forth hundreds of times. It took him 18 hours 51 minutes.
And yet, he says it wasn’t the nightmare it sounds.
“I just accepted it early. Ignored the speed, ignored the time. Listened to music, thought about my wife, tried to stay positive. In a strange way it was cathartic.”
Every epic challenge has a heartbeat behind the scenes. For Matthews, that was Chris Taylor – the logistical architect of the project and the steady voice when things threatened to go wrong.
From fixing a torn wetsuit with duct tape to joining Spencer for the final 40km of the Antarctic ride, Taylor’s presence was constant.
“He’s a mastermind. Calm under pressure. You struggle to get a reaction out of him even when things go badly. I couldn’t love him more.”
We’ll focus on Chris in more detail in a follow-up article as well as hearing about what may come next for Spencer.
Coming home
But back to Antarctica and after crossing the line – to complete two Guinness World Records – you might expect the emotional peak to be the finish itself.
But for Matthews, it was walking through the airport doors after landing back in London.
“Nothing beats your kids. The doors opened and Theodore was right there along with Gigi and Otto. It was a beautiful moment.”
And straight after our interview he was heading back to the airport to greet his wife Vogue Williams who is returning from her own incredible adventure in the ‘I’m A Celebrity’ jungle.
His priority now is simple: recover, rest, and spend Christmas with his family.
- James’ Place offers free, life-saving therapy for men in suicidal crisis. For more details or if you’d like to donate, click here.
