A PERSONAL trainer from Basingstoke has completed 24 sports challenges in just 24 hours to buy Christmas presents for children in hospital.

Nicky Watt started the challenge at 6am on November 24, completing 24 different sporting challenges throughout the day before finishing at 6am on November 25.

The various challenges included a 5k run, 10 rounds of boxing, horseriding dressage and nine holes of golf.

At the time of writing, he has raised £1,650, and is hoping to raise even more with a raffle.

Basingstoke Gazette: One of the challenges that Nicky completed was horse dressage (credit: Nicky Watt)One of the challenges that Nicky completed was horse dressage (credit: Nicky Watt) (Image: Nicky Watt)Nicky completed the challenge in an attempt to raise money to buy Christmas presents for children at a trio of hospitals in Hampshire.

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The presents will go to children at Ocean Ward Southampton, Charlie’s day unit in Basingstoke, and Winchester Hospital.

This is not the first time that Nicky has done such a challenge, originally completing a 24-in-24 challenge in 2020.

Nicky explained: “We were looking for a challenge to do to raise money to continue on with a Christmas toy drive that we’ve been doing for the last three years, and that seemed to be a pretty crazy challenge.

“It was during lockdown and people were doing all sorts of wacky challenges, so I thought why not combine a bit of what everyone’s doing and put it together as one entire challenge.”

Basingstoke Gazette: Nicky completing a rowing challenge (credit: Nicky Watt)Nicky completing a rowing challenge (credit: Nicky Watt) (Image: Nicky Watt)Speaking after the most recent challenge, Nicky said: “It went fantastically.

“As you’d expect with so much over a 24-hour period, it was definitely a physical and mental test but there was some fun in there as well.

"I had lots of support throughout, not only from my colleagues, but from my wife, my clients, they got involved, so it was good.”

Nicky is raising the money to buy the toys with a gofundme page.

Basingstoke Gazette: Nicky completing a basketball challengeNicky completing a basketball challenge (Image: Nicky Watt)SEE ALSO: Panto stars help welcome Christmas to Tadley with lights switch on

Nicky explained: “We’re hoping to raise over £2,000 by the end, which obviously then gets split up for presents for the three separate hospitals.”

He added: “I know it’s not a great time with the cost-of-living crisis, but if anyone does have a spare couple of pounds it's going to three local hospitals and we can help out a load of people less fortunate than ourselves.”

To donate to Nicky’s gofundme page, visit www.gofundme.com.