TWO years ago, Matt Gibson could barely run 5K and hadn’t ridden a bike since he was a child.

But now he is embarking on six months of gruelling events – including the world's toughest extreme triathlon and Europe’s biggest open water swim – in aid of a charity that helps disabled people into sport.

Matt, 37, from Guiseley, is raising money for Access Adventures, a charity that introduces people with physical disabilities to outdoor adventure sports.

Not content with one challenge, Matt is aiming to complete a total of eight events, equating to more than 600 miles of swimming, cycling and running. During his exhausting six months, he will be taking on 55,000 feet of hills – the equivalent of almost twice the height of Mount Everest.

After completing his first three events – the Fred Whitton Bike Sportive, 'The Struggle' and The Great North Swim across Windermere – Matt is just a few days away from his most difficult challenge yet. The Wasdale X ultra-distance triathlon on June 25 is described as the 'world’s toughest,' totalling 140 miles and hills of 17,000ft – with12,000ft of cycling and 5,000ft of running.

He said: "Having started cycling two years ago – as well as running in the past year – I wanted to complete a series of events for a worthy cause.

"As a charity that allows individuals to regain confidence and self-belief through sport, Access Adventures was the perfect fit.

"I've never entered a triathlon before and I'm under no illusion how difficult this is going to be. Five months ago I couldn’t do 20m front crawl, and in a few weeks I’ll be swimming 3,800m and still require enough energy to cycle 112 miles and run almost 27."

Wasdale will be followed two weeks later with the 90-mile Etape du Tour in the Alps on July 10.

After putting his bike firmly back on the rack after a 'gentle' 100-mile London to Surrey return trip, the running shoes will come out for the Amsterdam Marathon on October 16 and his final challenge – the Venice Marathon – later that month.

Charity founder, Jane Sowerby, said: "We can’t thank Matt enough for the unbelievable series of events he is entering for Access Adventures.

"Adaptive sports are expensive due to the tailored instruction and specialist equipment required, and many people simply can’t afford to access them. With our camps over-subscribed, fundraisers like Matt are vital to enable us to expand our much-needed service."

She added: "The freedom of adaptive sports cannot be underestimated. After a freak fall that left me paralysed 13 years ago, I know first-hand the physical and psychological benefits, and now get the pleasure of witnessing the difference it makes to others."

Access Adventures is a registered charity, organising residential camps to introduce people to waterskiing, wakeboarding, kiting, kayaking, biking, scuba diving and skiing – adventure sports many people with disabilities don’t think are possible.

Visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MattsChallenges for more details about Matt's challenges.