Spennylympics: Couple complete 102 Olympic events to raise £110,000

Charlotte Nichols and Stuart Bates finished the marathon at Weymouth Beach, completing their challenge to take part in 102 Olympic events

A couple have completed 102 individual Olympic events to smash their fundraising target and raise more than £110,000 for charity.

Charlotte Nichols and Stuart Bates said the challenge was "something we will remember forever".

They took on the feat during the 17 days of Tokyo 2020 in memory of Mr Bates' brother, Spencer, who died in 2011 of motor neurone disease, aged 49.

They had hoped to raise £10,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The couple were cheered by onlookers as they finished the very last leg of their journey on Sunday, minutes after the closing ceremony in Tokyo.

Despite first aiming to raise £10,000, donations for the Spennylimpics have now surged to more than 11 times that

Miss Nichols, a Bristol University medical student and Mr Bates, from Abingdon in Oxfordshire, said their bodies "were in pieces", but that reading messages of support had spurred them on.

The couple initially expected to complete 96 events, but saw this rise to 102 while taking part in the challenge.

And it was not all plain sailing as Mr Bates was thrown from his horse during cross-country and Miss Nichols was rescued while windsurfing due to a phobia of fish.

But Mr Bates cited trampolining as his toughest event due to a problem with his back.

"I never want to see a trampoline again as long as I live. Give me two marathons but no more trampolining," he said.

Mary Bates said she was "bursting with pride"

Mr Bate's Mum, Mary, said: "I am so proud I am bursting. They've got blisters all over their feet and they are still smiling, I can't believe them, they are incredible.

"They will go down in history and Spencer's name and theirs will be known all around the world."

The Spennylympics - named after Spencer - took place with the help of 60 Olympians as ambassadors with events in Bristol, Oxford, London, Reading and Dorset.

The couple have completed an array of events including skateboarding, climbing, boxing, weightlifting, shooting, show jumping and rhythmic gymnastics.

Miss Nichols said: "We've loved so many of the events and, who knows, maybe in 2024 you'll see us at the real Olympics."

The fundraising challenge was the idea of Mr Bates.

"It's 10 years since Spencer passed but I still think about him every single day," he said.

"We were both massive, massive sports fans and every time the Olympics came around we would become instant experts on every sport and I thought it was just the best opportunity."

Mr Bates' brother Spencer had motor neurone disease and died 10 years ago

Motor neurone disease is a fatal, rapidly-progressing, incurable disease affecting the brain and spinal cord.

It affects how people talk, walk, drink and breathe, because cells in the brain and nerves stop working.

Mr Bates said: "In time hopefully, with enough funds, they will be able to get there and raise enough money so effective treatments and cures can be found."

The couple said while they will now take some time to recover, their fundraising efforts are far from over.

"Watch this space - it's not the end of Spennylympics," said Mr Bates.