CALDY have been making giant strides this season in leading National League Three North.

However the Wirral team have been matched by the efforts of a former player, who is just weeks away from taking on his own daunting challenge.

Matt Bennett will be trying to raise £250,000 for the Prostate Cancer Charity by swimming the 12-mile Strais of Gibraltar, cycling the 1400 miles from Gibraltar to Calais and then running 180 miles back home from London.

The former scrum-half, 34, who played a key role in Caldy’s promotion into the national leagues, and can’t wait for his Suck It Up challenge to begin.

“I have been working towards this for so long that it will be great to actually get out there and do it,” he added.

“I am confident I will be able to get to the other side of the Straits of Gibraltar without drowning, and then lots of people have been offering to come out and do a bit of the cycle or run with me.

“That will make it more entertaining for me, as I seem to have spent forever riding or running around here in the dark. It’s been hard at times.”

Matt has taken on the challenge to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Charity, three years after his father, Martin, was diagnosed with the disease.

He said: “My dad has had a lot of treatment since then and is battling on.

“His courage made me want to do something to raise awareness and money for research into the disease. People don’t realise though just how common prostate cancer is.

“Around 35,000 men are diagnosed with it each year, and around 10,000 die because of it. The thing is, it is preventable if you know what symptoms to look out for. You can get to the doctor, have a blood test and if it is picked up early enough, stop it in its tracks.”