Matt and Kris both grew up in the South of England – Matt on the Kent/Sussex border near Tunbridge Wells and Kris near Abingdon in Oxfordshire. They met at University in Durham and then worked in London for four years before moving to Sydney, Australia in June 1995 after getting married earlier that year. Initially on an 18 month secondment with Matt’s job, this quickly turned to 2 years, then a bit longer and then permanently! The lure of the outdoor lifestyle that the Sydney climate permits was just too much for them.

Matt is a partner with international accountancy firm Grant Thornton and Kris works in the Treasury department at Westpac, one of the Big Four banks in Australia. They have two children – Scott, aged 7 and Daniel aged 5. Matt still plays rugby at the age of 38 and has recently taken up surfing. Kris is a keen tennis player and played lacrosse at national level in her youth. Both enjoy working out at the gym (when time permits between work and parenthood) and skiing is also a passion.

Whilst their lives have not been as closely affected by cancer as some of the other trekkers, as with most people it has touched their lives a number of times over the years. Both Matt’s paternal grandparents died of forms of cancer when he was younger and more recently, since becoming parents they have watched the mother of one of their son’s friends die from breast cancer and also helped support another family through their young daughter’s successful fight against Leukaemia.

Matt is a big rock music enthusiast and is a long time fan of The Alarm and was inspired to join the trek and help James Chippendale set up Love Strength Foundation Australia after seeing James and Mike Peters launch the charity at The Alarm’s “Gathering” weekend in Llandudno, North Wales earlier this year. By participating in the Everest Rocks trek and the ongoing running of the Australian arm of the charity, Matt and Kris hope not only to raise money but also give something back to the community by supporting such an important fight!