Hinderwell man emotional at surprise trophy after completing seven challenges in seven months
And Harry is delighted that the overall amount raised for the Motor Neurone Disease care home at James Cook Hospital and the MND Association charity, has already exceeded the target of £7,777 and is now closing in on £8,000.
Harry said: “We began the 24 hour hike at 7.30am at Sutton Bank.
"There was a fantastic turnout throughout the day.
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Hide Ad"We hiked along the Cleveland Hills into the night, through villages and along the moors, then into Staithes/ Hinderwell in the early hours.
"Before completing our final leg from Runswick, finishing in Sandsend at 7.30am the following morning.
“There were some really gutsy performances throughout the day with people fighting blisters, aches, pains, cramps and fatigue throughout.
"Four of us managed to complete the whole thing – Lucie Cardwell, Gary Rigby, myself and Stephen Hepples.
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Hide Ad“The true heroes for the event were my dad Richard Schofield and my girlfriend's dad Michael O'Connell.
"They were our support crew and they kept us motivated in terrible conditions overnight, sacrificing sleep and re-planning/ thinking on the spot to ensure our safety.”
Harry and his friend Patrick Nedley had taken part in the penultimate challenge, the Yorkshire Three Peaks, in memory of another friend, John Hunter, a former athlete who recently died after battling Motor Neurone Disease.
At the end of the Cleveland Way hike, Harry was presented with John's Cleveland Way relay trophy by his sister Joyce and partner Val.
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Hide Ad"This was a total surprise and I was very emotional,” he said.
“It was the perfect way to finish the seven in seven.
"It was the toughest challenge yet, physically and mentally exhausting but the team spirit pulled us through and it goes to show what you can achieve when you surround yourself with the right people.
“A huge thank you to everyone who has joined me for this seven-month journey – I couldn't have got through it without their support – and to everyone who has donated.”
Other challenges included the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon and Dalby Inferno 50km Ultra challenge.