Exeter graduate completes challenge for mental health charities despite hypothermia and 60mph winds 

An Exeter graduate has finished a charity challenge despite awful weather and hypothermia. 

Emmet Meehan set off on Tuesday 31 December at 8.30am and walked 100km non-stop while carrying 100lbs, in a bid to raise money for the charity YoungMinds.

YoungMinds hopes to ensure every young person in the UK has access to mental health support if they need it.

Emmet spoke to ITV News West Country after completing the challenge. 

“If you zoom out and you look at the entire event, I think it went very well. I didn't pick up any significant injuries. The checkpoints were all very smooth.

“Everyone in the team knew exactly what they were doing. Nothing was unexpected, no surprises. 

“Then if you zoom in to specific moments throughout the whole event, it was very tough. It was not a particularly easy thing to do, but I guess ultimately that's also a success because we were expecting that.” 

Across the UK, many events were cancelled due to warnings rain and wind on Tuesday 31 December and Wednesday 1 December - right when Emmet was walking. 

He said: “We had 60mph winds but luckily enough we avoided the torrential rain. I did end up getting the early stage of hypothermia though. 

“It was all okay up until kilometre 75, and then from that point it was an absolute battle and my nose started bleeding. I couldn't breathe.

“It was definitely more of a mental challenge from then on, because my body just stopped working pretty much.

“I was expecting it to be very difficult, but we couldn't really predict that. We knew it might happen, but with the winds, it made it very like bone chilling at points.

“When you're getting all these symptoms - complete systematic fatigue and hypothermia - all you want to do is curl up in the ball and stop moving and get warm, but we just had to persevere.”

Emmet was walking alone with no headphones in, something he said made the challenge all the more difficult. 

“I mean, ultimately, I'm doing this for YoungMinds so I didn't want to take any shortcuts in terms of making it easier. 

“That all made it much more of a mental challenge. I'd probably say it was 70% mental."

Just under 25 hours later, Emmet completed the challenge. 

He said: “I think the one thing that I want to get across with it all is how important it is to stay positive throughout the whole thing because obviously it's very daunting when you start. 

“It can be a little demoralising, but it's so important to stay positive the whole way through, because that's what keeps you going. When you're faced with these big challenges, it's that hope that keeps driving you forward and sometimes you have to.

“There might be no hope around you, but you have to just create something in your head and that's probably the most important thing. And I think that obviously transfers to everything to do with mental health.

When asked about any future challenges, Emmet said it wasn’t off the cards. 

“All things considered, how much of a challenge it was, and what it was for more importantly, I think I probably will do one again - maybe not 100lbs over 100km again though!

“I love the idea of doing something difficult and taking yourself out of your comfort zone in order to pursue that personal growth, as well as raising awareness for a really strong cause like YoungMinds. I think I probably will do another challenge - when I can walk again!”