What do you eat after climbing Mount Everest? If you’re Matt du Plessis, it will probably be a large helping of scrambled eggs, followed up a few hours later with a visit to Henry and Ted for waffles, bacon and icecream.

In a feat of extraordinary endurance and determination, the 39-year-old Pāpāmoa man has ascended Mauao at Mount Maunganui an astonishing 38 times in less than 24 hours on the weekend, the equivalent of scaling Everest.

Marking his endeavour as part of the 2024 The Breeze Mount Everest Challenge, which doesn't start until February 12, Matt commenced his ascent at 4.15am on Saturday, with the ambitious goal of completing the equivalent elevation gain of the world's tallest peak in a single day.

He finished 22 hours and 20 minutes later at 2.35am on Sunday morning.

Matt du Plessis after completing his Mount Everest Challenge, digging into waffles, bacon and icecream on Sunday morning at Henry and Ted. Photo: Supplied.

His wife Sian du Plessis, who climbed it three times with him, says out of the 38 laps on Saturday, Matt only did two and a half alone.  

“During the evening on one of his solo laps someone he didn’t even know turned up,” says Sian.

“The man tracked him down half way up dragging his poles, and called out “Matt! It’s Ash! I’m back!” Matt clicked that the man had been up earlier in the day with his son and asked him about the challenge and told him he’d be back.

“He came back in the dark without his son, with his own set of poles and he helped snap Matt out of what he calls the “hurtlocker” and swiftly stepped ahead of Matt to help set the pace,” says Sian.

“Matt says Ash had already been training to do the 38 laps in 24 hours and Matt hopes to now return the favour when he does. He was a great help.”

Matt du Plessis was joined by supporters who climbed with him during the night hours. Photo: Supplied.

Many others joined Matt on his climbs despite him only deciding to embark on the challenge a few days prior. A story on social media from his friend Joel Shadbolt, front man of L.A.B. also got people interested.

“Joel put out a few feelers and bumped into people at dinner who said they’d join him on his return to support Matt. Joel ran it six times in total with him throughout the day - a couple mid-morning and four laps late at night.

“Joel had people who Matt doesn’t even know turn up during the night. Sometimes he had six or eight people running with them.

“Joel and other friends set off on the last lap with him just after 2am and were there for a very sweaty thank you hug from Matt at the end.”

Matt du Plessis, joined and encouraged by Joel Shadbolt and others on his climbs. Photo: Supplied.

Sian says Matt, owner of Off the Wall Construction, “has inspired many people, including Joel, to better their health”.

“His father-in-law, at age 63, has picked up running for the first time in his life since witnessing Matt complete an Ultramarathon and has signed up for a 50km this year,” says Sian.

“Many of his workmates from Off the Wall Construction were keeping in touch throughout the day on our work chat; some of them turned up to do laps with him.”

For hours during the night, Matt and the other night runners with him wore headlamps, with a line of bobbing lights visible across the city.

“A friend in Otumoetai was texting him saying they could see the headlamps,” says Sian.

“He asked his wife “do you mind if I go?” and she said “yes” so he got up from the couch and came over and went for a few laps too. He ended up finishing with him as it was too exciting to leave.”

Sian says there were even people returning from the One Love festival joining the climb, with a couple of groups not ready to go to bed yet, walking up Mauao in the dark.

“The last time he turned around at the top was the best he’d felt as he knew he didn’t have to go up again.”

Matt du Plessis, during his 38 climbs of Mauao on Saturday. Photo: Supplied.

Sian says Matt got into ultra-marathons and running as part of a commitment to pursuing good health and well-being.

“He’d heard about the Tarawera Ultramarathon, and without much training he thought he’d give 100km a go,” says Sian.

“He did that one last year in February and this year signed up for the 160km, also called the TMiler.”

The TMiler is being held on February 17, 2024.

“One of our shareholders in a meeting on Wednesday asked him if he’s doing the Mount Everest Challenge, and told him it starts in February.

“Matt said “well I can’t promise to do much over February because of the TMiler”. But he thought it was a good cause, lives in Pāpāmoa and wanted to raise funds for Pāpāmoa Surf Lifesaving club and wondered if anyone had done it in 24 hours.”

Matt du Plessis, during his 38 climbs of Mauao on Saturday. Photo: Supplied.

The Breeze Mount Everest Challenge - 'Climb for Life'

This year funds raised through the Breeze Mount Everest Challenge will be going to the three local surf lifesaving clubs based at Omanu, Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa.

Although Matt is doing the climbs as an individual, Tauranga’s 95.8 The Breeze is also encouraging people to do the challenge as a team, taking the pressure off individuals trying to reach the goal.

Breeze breakfast host Max Baird, Charlotte Webb from Mount Maunganui, Scott Bartlett from Omanu, Nikki Heatley from Pāpāmoa and Breeze breakfast host Jolene James. Photo: John Borren.

“Clubs, groups, families, workforce teams – spread the 38 climbs across members of the team. And there’s no limit to the team size,” says The Breeze Tauranga Breakfast host Jolene James.

Fellow local Breeze breakfast host Max Baird says the slogan for this year is "climb for life" and that's literally what the surf clubs do.

Filming the climb

Sian says Matt recorded his climbs on Saturday on a Go-Pro in order to make a fundraising video.

“One of our friends who is a videographer will put something together for Givealittle and then he’ll raise funds from that.”

With 15 ascents already under his belt within the initial eight hours by 12.15pm, each trek up the 232-metre Mauao served a dual purpose: to test his physical limits, while also raising vital awareness and ultimately funds for the three local surf clubs.

By 1pm he’d completed 16 climbs, and by 1.45pm he’d finished 17. A board at the base of Mauao near the wooden steps marked off each climb.

Joel Shadbolt pictured with Matt du Plessis at another event put the word out across social media to encourage others to join Matt on Saturday. Photo: Supplied.

Joel took a video of him at the top on his last lap doing an impressive “sub-19” to the top – running to the top in 19 minutes - with already 37 climbs under his belt.

“He was averaging about 33 minutes up and back towards the end,” says Sian.

“There was a period in the middle where he took longer breaks for food. He couldn’t hold anything down towards the end, but had had plenty of people coming to support asking what they could bring him to eat or drink.

“He put out a call on social media for someone to bring him a margarita pizza - cheese, tomato, basil, light on the cheese and that wish was granted by a friend around midday. Throughout the day he also ate plain crackers, flat bread, and drank coke, ginger beer and electrolytes.”

She says on getting home he requested scrambled eggs on toast at 3am.  And then went to bed. Later there was the delicious breakfast served up by Henry and Ted to dig into.

Matt du Plessis, during his 38 climbs of Mauao on Saturday. Photo: Supplied.

SunLive caught up with the couple again on Sunday morning.

“He can walk on his feet and he’s mobile.” says Sian.

She says Matt thinks he’ll probably lose his two big toenails though.

“Last year he lost three toenails doing the 100km for Tarawera.”

She checks Matt’s Polar watch to look at the stats it tracked over the challenge.

“He did 95.97 kms on Saturday with an average pace of 11.52 minutes per km and burned almost 15,000 calories. His moving time when he wasn’t resting was 18 hours and 58 minutes. He stopped for the toilet once.

“His elevation gain was 8042metres. That altitude is more than for the Tarawera Ultra.”

She says the Strava app on Matt’s phone has enabled people to follow his running journey over the past year and a bit.

“Throughout the day and night Simon Cochrane, his coach for the Tarawera Ultra in February was messaging to cheer him on,” says Sian.

Pounamu for Matt’s boys

Sian says their two boys, aged five and eight “are so inspired” by Matt’s health journey.

“They want to be runners and don’t want to drink alcohol. The reason Matt’s planning to do the TMiler twice is because you get a pounamu at the end of it. So he’ll do it this year, and again next year to get the second pounamu for our second son.”

Matt set up his gear at the base of Mauao, at the wooden stairs behind the Mount Maunganui camping ground. Photo: Supplied.

She says Matt had decided he didn’t want to be a “typical stressed out business owner”, decided not to touch alcohol anymore but instead focus on fitness and health.

“He spends any time that he’s not with his family, training, with 4am gym workouts, saunas, ice baths and complete immersion into health and wellness in general,” says Sian.

“We’ve seen plenty of other people go down another rabbit hole, so he wanted to see what he could do to be the best he can be.”

Pāpāmoa Hills is where Matt trains most of the time, doing elevation training through both the Welcome Bay Hills and Pāpāmoa Hills.

“A few weeks ago he did 80km from Pāpāmoa to the Mount, and back, twice.” says Sian.

“The ultimate challenge he wants to do is the Revenant Ultra Adventure Run in the South Island. You can only take a compass and no technology, no watches. It’s 200km.” 

Joel Shadbolt pictured with Matt du Plessis at another event put the word out across social media to encourage others to join Matt on Saturday. Photo: Supplied.

Sian says they are registering the Mauao climb on The Breeze’s Mount Everest Challenge page, and will be opening up a Givealittle to raise funds through the video that Matt will be making.

With each push up the Mauao terrain, Matt has not only pushed the limits of human endurance, but is also inspiring a community to unite in support of this noble cause that safeguards lives along the coastline.

The Breeze’s Mount Everest Challenge will run from February 12 to Easter Monday, and teams or individuals can register now at: thebreeze.co.nz or follow The Mount Everest Challenge Facebook page.