After months of planning routes, climbing mountains and pushing himself to his limits, Joe Maden has completed his challenge to conquer all 214 Wainwrights, raising an incredible £14,312 for Pendleside Hospice

Joe, who lost his right leg below the knee following an accident at work when he was 16, originally set himself the challenge of completing all 214 peaks to raise £5,000 for Pendleside.

What started as a fundraising challenge soon became a huge part of Joe’s life.

“If I wasn’t at work, I was planning the next route or watching videos about the next walk. It took over my life,” said Joe.

The challenge wasn't simply a case of turning up and walking a mountain. Many of the walks meant hours of driving to and from the Lake District, with Joe sometimes sleeping in his car or staying in a local hostel to make the journey possible.

Of the 214 Wainwrights, one walk holds a particularly special place in Joe’s heart – Blake Fell, named after his son Blake.

Throughout the challenge, Joe has also had plenty of support from his family and friends, including his brother-in-law Wayne, who joined him for some of the walks and helped keep him motivated along the way.

But while the physical challenge was huge, Joe discovered something about Pendleside that gave his fundraising an even deeper meaning.

During his time supporting the Hospice, Joe learned that Pendleside offers free bereavment counselling to anyone who has been bereaved including children. This struck a very personal chord with him.

Joe sadly lost his mum to cancer when he was just 13. Growing up, he never had the opportunity to access counselling following her death.

“I think I’d be a different man today if I’d had that support,” Joe explained.

For Joe, knowing that Pendleside can provide that support to children going through the loss of someone they love has become one of the biggest reasons behind his fundraising.

Joe added: “I don’t want any child to have to go through what I did.”

It is something Joe has carried with him throughout the challenge. Every mountain has been another opportunity to raise money that could help a local family receive the support they need during one of the most difficult times in their lives.

Towards the end of his challenge, Joe was invited to BBC Radio Lancashire to talk about his fundraising, share his story and encourage people to help him reach his final total.

For his final Wainwright, Joe chose Latrigg and was joined by family, friends and members of the Pendleside  Hospice team to cheer him on along the way and to mark the achievement.

After months of walking, Joe has plenty of memories to look back on, but one of his favourite sayings throughout the challenge sums up his attitude perfectly: "It's not the size of dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog.”

A fitting motto for someone who has climbed 214 mountains on one leg.

And, unsurprisingly, Joe isn't finished yet.His next challenge will be the Nationa Three Peaks in 24 hours, meaning there are still plenty more miles to come.

But before he starts planning his next route, Joe is making sure he thanks the person who has supported him throughout it all – his wife.

After countless weekends spent walking, hours planning routes and long journeys, Joe plans to treat her to a well-earned spa day as a thank you for her continued support.

Help Joe continue to make a difference for Pendleside by donating to his JustGiving page