Paul ‘The Mackem’ Holborn’s latest feat has taken him on two iconic climbs.

A proud Mackem who flies his SAFC flag on some of the world’s highest peaks has scaled his latest challenge.

As always, Paul took his Sunderland flag on the challenge | Submitted

placeholder image — As always, Paul took his Sunderland flag on the challenge | Submitted

Former boxer Paul ‘The Mackem’ Holborn, who was born in Downhill and now lives in Texas, has returned home from what he describes as one of the ‘toughest, most physically and mentally demanding experiences’ of his life.

Paul has successfully summited both Island Peak and Ama Dablam in Nepal, two very different and very challenging mountains, in preparation for what he hopes will be the biggest achievement of his life: summiting Mount Everest in May 2027.

It’s the latest in a long line of challenging feats for Paul, including scaling Kilimanjaro, taking on the infamous Arctic Spine race and the World Marathon Challenge, running seven marathons in seven continents in seven days.

The first objective on this latest month-long trip was Island Peak, standing at 6,189 metres (20,305ft).

Paul said: “The views were absolutely incredible, but getting there was something else.

“This was without doubt the most physically demanding thing I've ever done. For around eight hours, I was constantly out of breath. I found myself stopping even on downhill sections and flat ground just to recover.

“One thing I've learned is that being fit doesn't necessarily mean much when you're not acclimatised. Fitness obviously gives you advantages, but at that altitude, the body behaves completely differently. You can be as fit as you like at sea level, but the mountain doesn't care.”

Next up was Ama Dablam, which stands at 6,812 metres (22,349ft) and is considered one of the most technical mountains in the world.

Paul said: “I'd watched countless YouTube videos of Ama Dablam before travelling, so I thought I knew what to expect. But watching something on a screen is completely different from actually being there.

“When you're hanging off a cliff face, manoeuvring around enormous rocks with a sheer drop of more than a mile beneath you, it becomes very real. You have to trust your ropes, harness and anchors. Otherwise, you risk panicking and freezing.”

Paul is a proud Mackem and raises money for Age UK Sunderland among his charities | Submitted

On reaching the peak, he said: “I honestly cannot explain the beauty of what I was looking at. It was one of those moments you wish you could bottle up and experience all over again.

“We only had a few minutes at the summit to take photographs because of the extreme cold and wind. As I always do, I managed to get my Sunderland AFC flag out for photographs first.

“Standing there, thousands of metres above the world, with my Sunderland flag, was incredibly special.”

Next on his tick list of extreme challenges is Everest after Paul was inspired to scale the world’s highest mountain by Ant Middleton during a trip with Elite Expeditions to trek to Everest Base Camp, an expedition guided by Ant.

Paul said: “Ant had heard about my background in elite fitness and endurance events and felt I had the potential to be part of the team attempting Everest in 2027. It was completely unexpected. I'd never imagined myself attempting the world's highest mountain, but suddenly I had been presented with an opportunity I couldn't ignore.”

He said he’s looking forward to returning to Nepal, a country whose beauty and people have left a lasting impression.

“I came away with an enormous amount of respect for them and the way they live,” he said. “The support from my guide and Sherpa was also fantastic. Having that one-to-one relationship throughout the climbs gave me a real appreciation of the knowledge and experience needed to get people safely up and down these mountains.”

As with all his challenges, Paul wanted this expedition to be about more than just personal achievement and he managed to raise money for three worthwhile causes: £900 for Age UK Sunderland, $250 for San Antonio Animal Defense and $1,076 for the Namche Bazaar Dog Shelter.

He said: “I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who donated and supported me. It means a lot to be able to combine something I'm passionate about with raising money for organisations that do such important work.”