Arctic to Africa

This summer, Happy Valley resident Matthew Hollingham will be completing the World’s Furthest A to B Triathlon!

From the Arctic Circle to Africa over a continuous 61 days, over 3,500 miles.

• 3.8km extreme-cold-water swim across the Arctic Circle

• 37 back-to-back marathons for 970 miles

• 2580-mile cycle at 112 miles a day, reaching North Africa

There are no rest days.

Arctic Circle to Africa: For Lovisa

This remarkable undertaking is about far more than athletic achievement. It is rooted in love, remembrance, and gratitude.

Matthew is doing this because his fiancée, Lovisa, was killed in a tragic accident in State College, Pennsylvania, in 2023. In the aftermath of that loss, Matthew experienced an extraordinary outpouring of kindness and compassion from the Happy Valley community and beyond. This journey is his way of reflecting that kindness back into the world while honoring Lovisa’s life.

Donations

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Matthew intends to raise $250,000 to support two children’s charities.

Matthew previously fundraised by completing ‘Mt Neverest’ in Lovisa’s name - hiking up and down Mount Nittany continuously until he reached the height of Mt Everest (49 times over 35.5 hours). Read more: LINK

You can choose to support either:

• Centre County Youth Services Bureau (Local State College charity)

• Save the Children (International charity)

These children’s charities were selected to enable international donors to support international causes and local donors to support local causes. These specific charities were selected because Lovisa always wanted to be a mother.

As this event is in honor of a lost loved one,

If you donate to either charity over $1,000, we will dedicate a mile along the route to your person, which will be shown on the map. (coming soon)

Our intention, by the end of this grueling ‘triathlon’, is to leave a beautiful map of love for those who have passed, along with vital support for children across the globe.

For more background on Matthew’s story, read the Penn Stater Magazine feature "The Heart Endures."