Karl Rushton pictured with team members on an assault of one of the peaks in his 100 Peak Challenge.

Karl Rushton is most know for coming up with the plan to hike the 100 tallest peaks in the UK.

In this exclusive interview he talks to us about that challenge and what inspired him to come up with the idea. He goes on to speak about his life full of adventure and some of the challenges he has set himself for the future.

Tell us more about the 100 Peaks Challenge and what it entails?

The Challenge originally was to hike 100 of the tallest Peaks in the UK, all above 610m (2,000ft)  – 45 in Scotland, 25 in England (the Lake District), one on the Isle of Man and 29 in Wales (Snowdonia and The Brecon Beacons).

The Challenge began in Scotland, before heading across to the Isle of Man, crossing the Irish Sea in sea kayaks. It then crossed the Irish Sea for a second time and headed back to the Isle of Whithorn with a cycle on to the Lakes.

The final leg in Wales began in Snowdonia and culminated with cycling from Capel Curig to the Brecon Beacons finishing with the ‘Fan Dance’ at the Summit of Pen Y Fan.

The Challenge took place, starting at Inverness in Scotland, on the May 23, 2017, and finished on Pen Y Fan on June 16 of that year.

What inspired you to come up with the conception of the Challenge and tell us about some of the support you have had?

I founded The 100 Peaks Challenge in memory of and in tribute to my younger brother Lloyd (Lloydy). Lloydy was a member of the British Army Special Forces unit, 22 regiment SAS, he was killed during his third tour of military service in Afghanistan on June, 16, 2011. The challenge was 25 days long and started on the anniversary of the day Lloydy last deployed and finished on the anniversary of the day he was killed. I wanted to create a truly unique challenge that really paid the ultimate tribute to my little brother, it also enabled me to use the challenge as a means of trying to deal with losing him in a positive way.

The challenge itself was predominantly self supported but we did have some incredible help from some fantastic sponsors that enabled us to not have to concern ourselves with how we got to and from the start and finish of the challenge, and eating!

There were four of us that made up the challenge team and a number of friends who volunteered to act as our support team. They basically enabled us just to concentrate on the task in hand and get the challenge done.

How can others get involved and support the Challenge?

The challenge in its original format was completed as a one off in 2017 although I am quite tempted to recreate portions of it as part of the legacy project ‘Be A Blacksheep’.

Tell us about how your family has influenced your passion for adventure and sport?

I’ve always been sporty, but life took over and after my little brother was killed I took the decision that I needed to get back to the man that both myself and my brother recognised to try and do him proud. We also had our son Charlie and for me it became even more important to look after myself and get myself as fit and healthy as I could to ensure (that as an older dad) I would be able to do all the things I want to be able to do with him as he grows up. It also became important to me that I set the example for him and to prove to him as he grows up, that if he’s prepared to work hard he can achieve whatever he sets his mind to.

What have been some of your greatest accomplishments in sport and adventure?

The 100 Peaks was obviously a very special achievement, but I think the biggest accomplishment is the journey I went on to get myself in the condition I needed to be to even contemplate the challenge in the first place. In addition to that the thing I’m most proud of is the people it enabled to step out of their comfort zones and as a result of what we were trying to achieve by setting their own bars to push their own boundaries.

How did you get involved in #GetOutside and what does your role with the organisation entail?

The Ordnance Survey created the initiative back in 2015 and off the back of that they asked people to apply for the role to act as #GetOutside Champions. My role and that of the Champions is to aim to encourage and help more people get outside more often.

You often call yourself the ‘black sheep’, what can we understand by your meaning of this and what makes you different to those around you?

Be A Blacksheep was created as a legacy project to enable me to continue the ethos of The 100 Peaks Challenge by aiming to create a community that enables individuals and the group collectively to help other people excel and enable us as individuals to take personal responsibility in delivering excellence. The origin came from the notion that Lloydy and I were always referred to as ‘The Blacksheep’ of our family, you can draw your own conclusions as to why that might be.

What can our audience expect when they visit your website www.the100peaks.com?

Hopefully an honest example of a man that has transformed his life to enable him to be the best version of himself, for himself, his family and all those in his life!

What exciting challenges and projects do you have planned for the coming months and years ahead?

I’m currently working hard to achieve a New York Marathon GFA Qualifying time, it’s the last of the World Marathon Majors that I need to complete to earn my Six Star. I’m also going to be running the Marathon des Sables as well as creating various very demanding but beautiful challenges through my Be A Black Sheep Project. One of which will be a special 10 year celebration for Lloydy which will be to run from The PF Memorial in Merville Barracks in Colchester to the Pilgrims Gate on Stirling Lines in Hereford.