A GOSFORTH man has taken on a mammoth challenge to run, cycle and kayak 150 miles in under 19 hours to raise cash in memory of his mum.

Steven Rainford completed the New Zealand Coast to Coast this month to raise funds for Cancer Research UK after his mum Mary Elizabeth, known as Liz, lost her five-year battle to cancer in June.

Steven, 29, who has lived in New Zealand for the past four years, said: “I was very close with my mum, a proper mummy’s boy. She was literally the most caring and loving human being I’ve ever met, not just because she is my mother but she dedicated her entire life to taking care of other people as a nurse from the age of 16. She always put other people first, no matter what.

“It’s this attitude that made me try and raise money for charity. After she gave so much I figured I should start doing the same and be more selfless.”

Mrs Rainford lived with husband Eddie at their family home on Meadow Close, Gosforth, where Steven and his sister Sarah grew up.

She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer and later bone cancer.

It was just a month before his mum’s death that Steven started thinking about taking part in the challenge.

He said: “I was inspired after watching a short movie at the Banff international mountain film festival, which followed several competitors in their preparation for the the New Zealand Coast to Coast. One particular woman stood out to me, she had beaten cancer and decided to do something extraordinary and live life to the fullest. She entered the C2C. This planted a seed in my mind but only a month after seeing this inspiring movie, mum passed away. I was obviously in a pretty bad place for a few months but once I had returned to a more normal rhythm I decided to sign up for the race myself.

“I generally live an active lifestyle but have never competed in anything. I normally ride mountain bikes in my spare time and with a little flat water kayaking on nice days in summer but never with huge distances. I also like tramping but running has never really been my thing, although being from the lake district I feel like fell running is in my blood. So fell running, road biking big miles and grade-two white water kayaking in fast, unstable boast was all new to me.”

But after a good start on his training, Steven sprained his ankle three weeks before the event.

He said: “I was on crutches for just over a week and off work. I almost pulled out for fear of damaging it further but it came right just in time, although everyone apart from my physio was advising me not to race, I went ahead with it anyway.”

And it wasn’t all plain sailing during the two-day challenge.

Steven said: “The first day of the race did not go as planned, I was almost involved in a crash on the first 55km bike stage then lost the group and flogged myself trying to catch them again which really didn’t set me up well for the 30km mountain run.”

After initially suffering cramps, another competitor handed Steven some anti-cramp spray and some high-sodium sweets and he started overtaking racers.

The second day started with a cycling stretch before the kayak leg of the race began.

Steven said: “I was overtaking a lot of people on the long shallow flats but not long after entering the dreaded gorge, after seeing many other boats upside down in the rapids, I too fell out after being side winded by two people in a double see kayak. The rest of the gorge went well, I stayed in my boat the whole way, then after leaving the gorge I approached what is known as ‘carnage corner’, and aptly named, I took the wrong line and ended up in the drink again, this was at roughly 50km out of 70. After shaking myself off and emptying the kayak I was off again on the final stretch, flatter, easier and more boring until the bike transition.”

Steven completed the last bike stage to the finish line at New Brighton beach in Christchurch in 30 degree heat with a head-wind. He said: “By this point my legs and lower back were screaming at me, driving through the city seemed to last an eternity. Then came the final turn on to the finish straight, parallel to the beach. Here someone grabs your bike and you sprint up the sand to the finish line. Crossing the line was such an incredible feeling, you can’t put it into words, I was speechless, exhausted. Within minutes of crossing the line I was already thinking about next year and attempting the “Longest day” in which you do the entire race in one day.”

Steven completed the whole challenge in 18hrs22min56sec.

He added: “Of course, I was thinking about mum – the whole reason I was there was for her. I just wish she could have been there to meet me across the finish line.”

Steven has already raised almost £1,300 but he’s hoping the amount will increase now he’s completed the challenge.

To donate visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/steven-rainford