Matt Kettlewell is the latest adventurer to take to a Swifty for an endurance scoot. His scooter challenge will take him from Lands End to John o' Groats entirely on a kick scooter! In doing so he hopes to 'show the benefits of what adventure and the outdoors can have on both our mental and physical health'.
In total, his journey across the country will see him scoot over a distance of 1,450 km and up a total 12,032m of ascent. To put that in perspective Mt Everest is only 8,848m!
He's aiming to complete the trip in less than 21 days, and hoping to set a whopping 5 world records during it!
Matt has to opted to use a SwiftyZERO for the journey. Our fitness scooter is the lightest model in our range and its rigid fixed frame means it's the ideal scooter to transfer all his energy into speed to see him through to the other side of the country.
The adventure is entirely self-funded and he's raising money for Youth Adventure Trust. It's a fantastic cause and you can donate to Matt's Just Giving page for the charity HERE.
We asked Matt a few questions ahead of his epic journey to get some insight into what the trip is all about, how he's planning on tackling it and what challenges he's expecting!
UPDATE: Unfortunately 'Due to raising cases of COVID-19 in the areas we are due to travel through' Matt had to cut his journey short. During the journey he managed to complete 12 marathons in just 7 days, travel over 300 miles and set one of his planned world records!
What’s the reason behind your trip?
Over the last few years, my expeditions and adventures have changed from just me exploring, to hoping to encourage and inspire more people to get involved with the outdoors and adventure. The benefits of getting outdoors on our physical and mental health are massive.
Who’s it in aid of?
This LeJog is in aid of the brilliant Youth Adventure Trust, who inspire young people with the outdoors.
Youth Adventure Trust use outdoor adventure to empower young people to fulfil their potential and lead positive lives in the future. They work with them to build resilience, develop confidence and learn skills that will last a lifetime, helping them to face the challenge in their lives.
Dave Cornthwaite has also tackled a long-distance scooter adventure travelling 1000 miles around Japan - Learn more about his trip
What LeJog records are you hoping to break?
I’m going for five in total, but I’ll be happy just to finish the 1,500km. The records are -
- Fastest LeJog on a kick scooter
- Fastest 1 mile on a scooter
- Furthest distance travelled in 12hr on a kick scooter
- Furthest distance travelled in 24hr on a scooter
- And if we find somewhere flat enough, the fastest 100m!
How have you been training for the adventure?
Well, with building my house, work and animals to look after I’ve been fitting it into any spare minute or hour.
I’m generally fit, having spent most of lockdown training, though none of that training was scooter specific. Maybe the calf raises will come in handy after all!
You've mentioned the trip is entirely self-funded on a budget, why have you opted to do it this way?
With the world of social media we live in I feel people have become too obsessed with promoting and chasing freebies, that they miss out on the freedom of the outdoors.
I thought it was important to show you can have big adventures on a budget. Where you don’t need to worry about meeting sponsors demands, where you just go out and have a great adventure.
Why did you opt for a scooter for your 3rd LeJog?
LeJog is a classic endurance challenge here in the U.K. and most people will at some point heard about someone cycling it.
I like to encourage people to think outside the box with their adventures, last year I did LeJog on a recumbent trike, so I wanted a two-wheeled method which wasn’t a bike. This brought me to the scooter idea!
'Super-Gran' Dinah solo scooted her SwiftyZERO over 500 miles around the west coast of Scotland - Learn More about her adventure
What new challenges do you expect to face doing the trip on a scooter?
Obviously there is going to be more challenges than I would face doing it on a bike, so my route has been carefully planned to hopefully help both me and the scooter.
The days will be slow and long broken up into 5 legs of 10 miles, I’ve also managed to remove 2,000m of ascent, though there is still 12,000m overall!
What kit are you taking with you and what are your sleeping/food plans?
I’m going as lightweight as possible, this does mean by John o’ Groats I will probably stink. So a very minimal kit list really.
I’ll be camping where I can, booking accommodation affects the distance you can travel. So to put in the big the miles, I need to be free to stop where I am.
I’m a big believer in fresh food, so I’ll be stocking up as I go.
Have you got the hang of switching legs?
I have just about, outside my house there is a 100m stretch of road which has been my technique training area. My neighbours must be sick of me by now!
You can keep up to date on Matt's progress and give him some encouragement on his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Again, Matt's doing the trip in aid of Youth Adventure Trust so if you're able to spare a pound or two you can donate to the charity HERE.
