Speedo Mick completes his final challenge at Land's End after raising £1million for charity

A fundraiser famed for wearing bright blue swimming trunks has completed his final ever charity challenge - after raising more than £1 million.

Everton fan Michael Cullen, known as Speedo Mick, finished his 1,000 mile walk from John O'Groats, Scotland, to Land’s End, Cornwall, over four months, taking on the three peaks and extreme weather along the way.

It is the last in nine years worth of charity challenges which has seem him don the bright blue trunks to raise money and awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.

Money goes to the SpeedoMick Foundation, which will give grants to small grassroots charities that support mental health awareness, disadvantaged young people and the homeless.

Speedo Mick's charity triumphs have previously included a 2,000-mile, five-month trek across the UK and Ireland and swimming the English Channel, before he turned up to his beloved Everton Football Club's next home game in a pair of blue trunks with "Channel swimmer" written on his chest.

After setting out in December, he has camped in a tent, walked through treacherous weather and met an array of people, and even managed to scale the three peaks - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon - facing sub-zero temperatures.

“I’ve done the three peaks… Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and (Mount) Snowden all in the winter - minus 3C at the bottom of Ben Nevis and minus 18C at the top," Mick said.

Mick’s friends and family urged him to wear appropriate attire before scaling the three peaks, and while in Scotland he decided to don a sporran and kilt to ascend Ben Nevis, though this was quickly removed by the time he reached the bottom.

“When I got to the bottom of Ben Nevis I thought ‘my name’s not Kilty Mick, I’m Speedo Mick’ so I took all the stuff back off,” he said.

While scaling Scafell Pike, he was joined by a group of commandos in the British army who showed their support for the fundraiser.

“Funnily enough, I saw some commandos at Scafell Pike and they presented me with a flag because one of them had seen what I had done. Then they walked up Scafell Pike with me,” he said.

“When they got to the top, they got into their shorts.”

After four months of consistent walking and being away from his family and home comforts, Mick said he is looking forward to giving his wife a hug on the final day of his challenge.

“I think I’m going to give my wife a cuddle, that’s the first thing I’m going to do,” he said.

“She’s the one I speak to when I’m down. She’s the one who changes my perspective when I’m not feeling good about myself.”

He also said he cannot wait to “see my own bed”, and to being more involved in projects for the SpeedoMick Foundation.

“I haven’t seen my family in four months and my beautiful dog. I’m freezing cold, but I’m excited to see all of my family,” he said.

“I just want to see my own bed … just want to have some beans on toast.”

“I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the SpeedoMick Foundation project too.”

Mick's challenge was sparked by his recovery from alcohol and substance addiction, with this year marking his 21st year of recovery.

“That’s the catalyst of me doing what I’m doing trying to raise awareness for mental health and addiction,” he explained.

“There is hope out there. Hope lives in the darkest places and I didn’t know that until I got into recovery.

“I’m doing my best to give back because I wouldn’t be here if I never received the support that I got 21 years ago.”

Mick said this fundraiser has given him a renewed “lust for life” and hopes his efforts can leave “some footprints on this world” encouraging people who are suffering from mental health issues to find support.

“If your dreams don’t scare you, then they’re not big enough as far as I’m concerned. That’s me getting the lust for life back,” he said.

“I’m raising a few smiles, I’m raising some spirits and raising a few quid for charity, and putting some footprints on this world before I kick the bucket.

“The message I’d really like to send to anybody who is suffering from mental health or addiction is simply, please, reach out.”

The £200,000 raised from this challenge contributes to the almost £1 million he has raised for his foundation across his various feats, which include a 2,000-mile, five-month trek across the UK and Ireland and swimming across the English Channel.

More information about Mick’s final fundraiser can be found here.