Exeter graduate goes the extra 100km

When Emmet, 23, decided to ring in the New Year by strapping 100 pounds to his back and walking 100 kilometers, he wasn’t just testing his physical limits - he was making a statement.

A recent Exeter graduate with a background in sports science, Emmet took on the challenge to raise money for YoungMinds, a mental health charity. And if you thought your New Year’s Eve was tough, just wait until you hear what he went through.

Emmet’s journey began with a simple thought: how could he do something meaningful with his time and skills? “I’d just finished my master’s, and I was seeing everyone travelling, spending money. But I wanted to do something for the community,” he explains. His expertise in sports science meant he knew the physical toll this challenge would take, but that didn’t deter him. In fact, it inspired him. “Running? Everyone does running. But carrying something heavy for a long time? That’s a different beast.”

100 pounds for 100 kilometers was born - both a literal and symbolic representation of the weight people carry with them, especially when struggling with mental health.

If he thought the logistics of organising the event were tricky, the challenge itself was a whole other level of brutal. Setting off from Henley-on-Thames at 8.30am, Emmet quickly realised this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. Quite literally. 

His route took him along the Thames Path, winding through Oxfordshire and Berkshire, before finally finishing in Marlow and with a minor ligament tear in his ankle early on, that was only the beginning. “It was pinging. We had to strap it up,” he recalls.

Then came the weather. With a storm raging and 60mph winds hammering down, the combination of sweat and freezing gusts left him battling hypothermia. “The wind would freeze the sweat on me, and then I’d overheat under the weight. It was a nightmare for my crew - drying clothes on pizza boxes and out of car windows just to keep up.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Emmet also developed rhabdomyolysis, a condition where muscles break down and release toxins into the bloodstream. “You feel sick, dizzy, and get these brutal cramps,” he says, almost casually. “Oh, and the sleep deprivation was great too.”

Most people tackling an endurance feat like this would rely on a killer playlist or a podcast binge to pass the time. Not Emmet. “It was like a 25-hour meditation session,” he laughs. “I’m not the kind of person who avoids pain - I confront it.” His approach? A mental trick where he imagined the challenge as a mountain. “The first 50k, you’re climbing. But after that, everything you do is less than what you’ve already done. That kept me going.”

Despite every physical setback imaginable, Emmet crossed the finish line, in 24 hours, 59 minutes, and 29 seconds - well ahead of the 30 hours he had originally planned.

His team, who had kept spirits high throughout, were there to witness it. “It was all about staying positive. If you’re miserable, it drags the whole team down. Keeping morale up was key.”

After a much-needed recovery period (and a postponed firefighter fitness test - thankfully), Emmet is back in action. He’s now launching a health coaching business to help others optimise their fitness and well-being, regardless of their circumstances. “No matter what barriers people have - time, money, anything - there’s always a way.”

And as for the documentary covering his epic journey? That’s set to drop in April, featuring behind-the-scenes struggles, strategies, and a whole lot of soggy socks.

“I just hope people take away the message: small steps add up,” he says. “Trust the process, and keep moving forward.”