Next Challenge Grant – Past Winners

Below you can find out about all of the people who have won The Next Challenge Grant.

Elise Downing - Running the Coast of Great Britain

Shortlists

2018 shortlist

2017 shortlist

2016 shortlist

2015 shortlist

Shortlisting was stopped after 2018


Winners of The Next Challenge Grant

Click a link below to read stories from winners who have reported back after completing their adventures.

You can see all their reports here.

Year Winner Expedition Award Other award Status
2020 Will Baker Kayaking around Iceland £400 TBC
2020 Chloe Peglau Sailing across the Atlantic £400 Ongoing
2020 Fran Pearson Cycling the Severn Way with three kids £200 Ghyllside voucher TBC
2020 Gina Slevinsky Sailing a self-made boat from Spain to Morocco £200 TBC
2020 George Brill Swimming around Tioman Island, Malaysia £200 TBC
2020 Tenny Adamian Paddle-boarding Lake Sevan, Armenia £200 TBC
2020 Steve Le Feuvre Climbing Scottish sea stacks £200 TBC
2020 Alex McDermott Walking the Cornish coast £200 TBC
2020 Alasdair Gorniak Motorbiking the Great Western Trail £200 TBC
2020 Rhonda Muir Walking all 300+ miles of Orkney trails £150 TBC
2020 Chris Burwash Canoeing the length of Loch Lomond £100 TBC
2020 Katie Marston Paddling across and walking between nine Lake District lakes £100 TBC
2020 Erin Nugent Cycling from Shetland to Cornwall Stanforth bike TBC
2019 Mark Holmes Swimming escapes from the UK's three prison islands £300 TBC - Summer 2020
2019 Mike Creighton Running across all of the UK's national parks £200 Ongoing
2019 Jo Laird Paddle-boarding the biggest lakes in England, Scotland and Wales £200 Completed
2019 Wyatt Stevens Walking across the Kolyma mountain range, Russia £200 Completed
2019 Valerie Rachel Running the Trans-Labrador Highway £200 TBC - August 2020
2019 Mark Liney Fatbiking the Hardangervidda, Norway £200 Completed
2019 Marjorie Armijos Walking the Staffordshire Way with a baby £100 TBC
2019 David Wilson Circumnavigating Northumberland in 80 hours £100 TBC - April 2020
2019 Sue Manning Crossing Scotland with a pony £100 Completed
2019 Ruth Thomas Running the Thames Path £100 TBC - September 2020
2019 Natalie Insall Teenager walking from the Lakes to the Dales £50 Completed
2018 Eilidh Archibald Three munros with a three year old £60 Ongoing
2018 Oli Warlow Climbing up and cycling between every route in the Classic Rock guide book £400 Completed
2018 Anna Blackwell Kayaking to the Black Sea £200 Completed
2018 Emma Holmes Cycle touring the Netherlands in search of new food technologies £100 TBC - Summer 2020
2018 George Shelton Running the Isle of Man 'TT' route £100 Completed
2018 Noel Regachuelo Bikepacking across the Philippines £100 Completed
2018 Pip Franks Teenager canoeing the River Spey £100 Completed
2018 Sam Hewlings Hiking Britain's watersheed £100 Camping mat Completed
2018 Geraint Hill Cycling from the Arctic to Baltic, exploring Every Man’s Right £100 Bikepacking bags Completed
2018 Val Ismaili Kayaking the Drin £100 Completed
2018 Eric Mbotiji Walking up Mount Cameroon £100 Completed
2018 Matúš Seči Circumnavigating Gotland £100 Completed
2018 Emily Woodhouse Walking up all of the Dartmor tors £100 Completed
2018 William Berg Teenagers walking the Tour du Mont Blanc £100 Completed
2018 Jhenelle Williams Cycling across Jamaica £100 Completed
2018 Hajo Spaethe An 'IronMan' triathlon in the Canadian Rockies £50 Completed
2017 Lisa & Libby Cycling between and running up all the Munros £600 Completed
2017 Robin Lewis Walking Japan's tsunami-affected coast line £400 Completed
2017 Tina Page Running the Three Peaks £200 Completed
2017 Guru and family Walking in the Western Ghats £100 Completed
2017 Emily and Lua Fitzherbert Paddling boarding every lake in the Lake District £100 Ongoing
2017 Joshua Powell Running a marathon at Marathon in ancient Greek armour £100 Completed
2017 Dan Keeley Running from Rome to home (England) £100 Stove, camping mat Completed
2017 Valeriy Darmostuk Walking the Tendrivska spit £100 Completed
2017 Joanne McCallum Stand-up paddle boarding across Lough Neagh £60 Completed
2017 Megan Cumberlidge Bikepacking the GR247 in Andalusia £50 Bikepacking bags Completed
2016 Nick Stanton Cycling the Berlin Wall £65 Completed
2016 Ed March-Shawcross Isle of Arran triathlon £100 Completed
2016 Kerry Anne Mairs Five bothies with a five year old £100 Completed
2016 Kate Symonds-Joy One woman opera in a lighthouse £200 Completed
2016 Chase Lewine Walking the length of New Zealand £200 Completed
2016 Karl Booth Mountain biking to the north of Europe £150 Completed
2016 Thomas Hart Walking barefoot across South Africa £200 Completed
2016 Charlie+Sam King Teenager and brother cycling across Europe £200 Completed
2016 Graham Clarke Paddling a self-made raft down the Shannon £100 Completed
2016 Jenny Tough Running across the Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan £100 Completed
2016 Dylan Haskin Cycling a beach cruiser around the coast of Costa Rica £150 Stanforth bike Completed
2016 Bex Band London Loop on a kick scooter £100 Completed
2016 Amanda McDonnell Running across the Channel Islands £100 Completed
2016 Heather Jones Welsh Three Peaks hike, bike and swim Stanforth bike Completed
2016 Nate Freeman Walking 50 miles to work Keen boots Completed
2015 Richard Fairbrother Walking the Great Wall in winter £125 Completed
2015 Elise Downing Running 5,000 miles around the coast of Great Britain £800 Completed
2015 Abbie Barnes Walking all the National Trails £200 Completed
2015 Mikey Bartley Cycling eight times up Alpe d'Huez £100 Completed
2015 Ben & Jude Packrafting the Caledonian canal £100 Completed
2015 George Kefford Teenagers crossing Stradbroke island £70 Completed
2015 Carmen Braun 100 nights camping in a year Keen boots Completed
Cancelled trips
  • 2018: Gemma Bassett, hiking the Via Dinarica. Cancelled due to injury and personal reasons.
  • 2018: Paul Newby, walking the worst-selling Ordnance Survey map. Stopped replying to my emails.
  • 2018: Maxence Innegraeve, cycling the Paris suburbs. Cancelled due to long-term injury.
  • 2017: Gary Marshall, swimming the Yorkshire coastline. Cancelled due to personal reasons.
  • 2017: Daniel and Fernando, Camino de Santiago on a tandem. Stopped replying to my emails.
  • 2017: Ivaylo, circumnavigating Menorca on foot. Cancelled due to personal reasons.
  • 2017: Gordon Macrae, walking the length of Long Island. Left the country.
  • 2017: Julia Wickham, walking the length of Portugal. Cancelled due to personal reasons.
  • 2017: Tom and Susannah Britten, 12 adventures with a newborn. Illness and injury.
  • 2016: Roger Rayner, students building bamboo bikes and cycling coast-to-coast (£100). Stopped replying to my emails.
  • 2016: Jade Tseng, cycling Belle Ile on a tandem (£90). Stopped replying to my emails.
  • 2015: Katie Tunn, living on an uninhabited island for a month (£100). Cancelled because she took part in a TV show about living on an uninhabited island!
  • 2015: Robinson Ellin, cycling to the Anne Frank Museum (£100). Cancelled due to personal reasons.

No funds were transferred to any cancelled trips. The money pledged is reinvested into future years.


Crossing Stradbroke Island

Ben Smith & Judith Pope - Pakrafting Caledonian Canal

Mikey Bartley cycling up Alp d'Huez

Amanda McDonnell - Running the Channel Islands

Robin Lewis - Walking Japan's coastline

Elise Downing - Running the Coast of Great Britain

Cycling the Berlin Wall

Kerry-Anne Mairs - 5 nights in 5 bothies with a 5-year-old

Charlie & Sam King - Cycling through Europe

Heather Jones - Cycling the Welsh Three Peaks

Abbie Barnes - Walking the National Trails

Richard Fairbrother - Walking the Great Wall in Winter

Megan Cumberlidge - Bikepacking the GR247 in Andalusia

Dan Keeley - Running from Rome to home

Guru and family - Walking in the Western Ghats

Dani and Fernando - Tandem Camindo de Santiago

Joanne Mccallum - Paddleboarding Lough Neagh

2017 Grant winners

  1. Lisa & Libby – Cycling and running all the Scottish Munros – £600
  2. Robin Lewis – Walking Japan’s tsunami-affected coast line – £400
  3. Tina Page – Running the Three Peaks – £200
  4. Guru, Druthi, Dyuthi and Adithi  – Walking in the Western Ghats – £100
  5. Tom and Susannah – 12 adventures with a newborn – £100
  6. Gordon Macrae – Walking the length of Long Island – £100
  7. Emily and Lua – Paddling boarding every lake in the Lake District – £100
  8. Daniel and Fernando – Cycling Camino De Santiago on a tandem – £100
  9. Joshua Powell – Running a marathon at Marathon in ancient Greek armour – £100
  10. Dan Keeley – Running from Rome to home (England) – £100 + kit
  11. Valeriy Darmostuk – Walking the Tendrivska spit – £100
  12. Ivaylo Gueorgiev – Circumnavigating Menorca on foot – £100
  13. Gary Marshall – Swimming the Yorkshire coastline – £100
  14. Joanne McCallum – Stand-up paddle boarding across Lough Neagh – £60 (full amount)
  15. Megan Cumberlidge – Bikepacking the GR247 in Andalusia – £50 + kit
  16. Julia Wickham – Hiking the length of Portugal – £50 + kit

Click here to read all articles about the 2017 Next Challenge Grant…


2016 Grant winners

Winners of The Next Challenge Grant in 2016 were:

  • Nick Stanton – Cycling the Berlin Wall (£65)
  • Jade Tseng – Pedalling the coast of Belle Ile on a tandem (£90)
  • Ed March-Shawcross – Scottish triathlon in miniature (£100)
  • Kerry-Anne Mairs – 5 nights in 5 bothies with a 5 year old (£100)
  • Kate Symonds-Joy – cycling to the northernmost lighthouse in the UK to perform an opera (£200)
  • Chase Lewine – Death Valley to Mount Whitney (£200)
  • Karl Booth – Mountain biking to the top of Europe (£150)
  • Roger Rayner – Building bamboo bikes with school kids and cycling coast-to-coast (£100)
  • Thomas Hart – Walking barefoot across South Africa (£200)
  • Charlie & Sam King – Two brothers cycling across Europe (£200)
  • Graham Clarke – Paddling the River Shannon on a home-made raft (£100)
  • Jenny Tough – Running across Kyrgyzstan (£100)
  • Dylan Haskin – Cycling around Costa Rica on a beach cruiser (£150)
  • Bex Band – The London Loop on a Scooter (£100)
  • Amanda McDonnell – Running across the Channel Islands (£100)
  • Heather Jones – Hike, bike and swim the Welsh Three Peaks (Kibo bike)
  • Nate Freeman – Walking 50 miles to work (Keen boots)

Click here to read all articles about the 2016 Next Challenge Grant


2015 Grant winners

The Next Challenge Grant first ran in 2015. The winners were:

  • Elise Downing – Running the Coast of Great Britain (£800)
  • George & Jaxson – Crossing Stradbroke Island – £70
  • Richard Fairbrother – Great Wall Winter Walk – £125
  • Mikey Bartley – Five Ascents of Alp d’Huez on a Fixed Gear Bike – £100
  • Ben Smith & Judith Pope – Pakrafting the Caledonian Canal – £100
  • Katie Tunn – A Month on an Uninhabited Island – £100
  • Robison Ellin – 48 Hour Cycle to/from Anne Frank Museum – £100
  • Abbie Barns – Walking all the National Trails – £200
  • Sebastian Schweizer – Swimming the Gulf of Orosei – Kit only
  • Carmen Braun – 100 Nights’ Camping in a Calendar Year – Kit only

Click here for full details of the 2015 grant and the winners


Find out more about The Next Challenge Grant here…

© 2015 - Tim Moss - The Next Challenge