FORMER Colchester schoolboy Shay Broomhall has completed his monster trek the length of New Zealand.
The 19-year-old ran 3,000 kilometres from Cape Reinga, at the top of the North Island, to Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island.
In the process, he became the youngest person to run the gruelling Te Araroa trail solo and unsupported and raised nearly £4,000 for refugee crisis charity Care4Calais.
Mission accomplished - Shay Broomhall at the Bluff signpost
"Unfortunately, I didn’t complete the trail in 100 days, as initially hoped, and it ended up being 105," said Shay, who was born in New Zealand but moved to north Essex when he was two, being raised in Wivenhoe and studying at Colchester Sixth Form College.
"I suffered a knee injury and ingrown toenail with about 800km to go so had to rest for 16 days.
"It was a little disappointing I couldn’t achieve my target but everything else was so amazing I quickly got over it!
"There were so many highlights that it's difficult to narrow them down.
Resting point - Shay alongside Martin’s Hut, a classic New Zealand hut
"As a whole, the experience was great and the scenery was unbelievable, particularly the Nelson Lakes and places like Lake Pukaki and the Motatapu Ranges. They were amazing.
"Some otherwise unremarkable moments were made special just because of their significance to me and what I was doing.
"For example, coming over the final hill and seeing Wellington was a great moment, knowing I’d completed the North Island.
"I was running through areas where my family had had farms in the past so it was very special.
Nearly there - Shay crosses a rare bridge with 3,00km to go
"Of course, though, as with all travelling, the variable is the people and family I met along the way.
"That's what made the run such an amazing experience."
Shay completed the mission to raise funds for refugee crisis charity Care4Calais and set off on November 20.
His initial goal was to raise £1,000, but the support he received encouraged him to increase that target to £3,000 and then £5,000.
Vantage point - Martha’s Saddle
"The fundraising went really well and I’m very happy with it," he said.
"As things stand, nearly £4,000 has been raised thanks to more than 130 donors.
"Overall, it was an unforgettable experience and certainly a great challenge.
"Some of the alpine parts were epic and there was an unseasonal snow dump in some of the sections in mid-January.
Spectacular scenery - Mount Ellis, in the Richmond Ranges
"This made the Richmond Ranges a bit more technical than they would normally be.
"Knee problems were the main setback and it started to become an issue when I was in the middle of nowhere, so had to hobble 70km.
"That was one of the most challenging sections mentally.
"Once I returned from my injury, I did the last 650+ kilometres in 14 days - an average of about 46km a day - and finished with a 93km day, running through the night after starting at 11.30pm.
"I was trying to make up for lost time but it meant the last four or five days were really tough mentally.
Snow patrol - Mount Rintoul, in the Richmond Ranges
"I was generally fatigued and the scenery wasn’t as inspiring as it had been when I was in the mountains."
For more information or to make a donation, head HERE.
READ MORE:
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here