A Penn State graduate student is getting ready to embark on a 3,500-mile endurance journey to raise funds for two charities and to honor the memory of his fiancée, a fellow Ph.D. student who died in 2023 when she was struck by a speeding driver in State College.
Matthew Hollingham is undertaking an “Arctic Circle to Africa” triathlon spanning 10 countries over 61 consecutive days beginning May 31.
The feat, which will cover nearly the full length of continental Europe, will include a 2.36-mile cold water swim across the Arctic Circle, 37 back-to-back marathons for 970 miles and cycling 112 miles a day for a total of 2,580 miles until he reaches North Africa.
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, which is sponsoring the endeavor, will hold a public sendoff reception for Hollingham from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, at Boal City Brewing, 281 Old Boalsburg Road. Supporters will be able to meet and hear from Hollingham at the casual gathering, and learn more about how they can support and follow his journey.
“This is a story of personal triumph over tragedy, of testing the limits of human endurance out of respect for a loved one and of recognizing the incredible and heartwarming kindness Matthew received during his lowest point,” HVAB President and CEO Fritz Smith said. “The decision to sponsor the endeavor came from wanting Centre County to be seen as more than the training ground for Matthew as he prepares for this monumental challenge. As he proudly wears the Happy Valley logo, we want Matthew and the world to know that this is a special community where something good and inspiring grew from a very difficult time. We are privileged to be part of what he is attempting to accomplish.”
For Hollingham, the trek is an opportunity to celebrate the life and memory of his fiancée, Lovisa Arnesson-Cronhamre.
Hollingham, a native of Wheathampstead, England, and Arnesson-Cronhamre, of Sweden, met as college students in Scotland. They decided to pursue doctoral degrees at Penn State and had planned out their life together.
But on Sept. 14, 2023, a month after they arrived, the 25-year-old Arnesson-Cronhamre was jogging on the sidewalk along East Park Avenue when she was struck by a BMW after the driver, 20-year-old Ahmed Alqubaisi, lost control of the vehicle, crossed the opposing lane of traffic and went over the curb.
Arnesson-Cronhamre, a Ph.D. candidate in physics, was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center, then UPMC-Altoona, where she died from her injuries. Alqubaisi, of United Arab Emirates, pleaded guilty in 2024 to one felony count of accidents involving death and served the minimum sentence of 33 days in prison. He reportedly left the U.S. on a voluntary departure before deportation.
In the time since Arnesson-Cronhamre’s death, her parents and Hollingham established the Be More Lovisa Graduate Student Scholarship in Physics at Penn State.
On the one-year anniversary of her death, Hollingham undertook what he called “Mount Neverest,” climbing Mount Nittany 49 times (totaling Mount Everest’s elevation of 29,100 feet) in 35 hours to raise money for Save the Children.
“This charity was chosen as Lovisa really wanted to be a mother,” Hollingham said at the time. “This is us giving back to the children she never had.”
For his newest challenge, he plans to raise money for Save the Children and the Centre County Youth Service Bureau, while keeping Arnesson-Cronhamre’s story alive.
“I get to tell everyone about Lovisa. That’s what I really want to do,” Hollingham said.
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau has established a special landing page at happyvalley.com/arctic-to-africa, where the public will be able to follow Hollingham’s journey and contribute to the charities. One mile along the route will be dedicated to individuals donating $1,000 or more to either charity.
A map to track his progress and a gallery of photos taken by Hollingham in real time will be added to the page.
The HVAB’s sponsorship will also enable a team to document Hollingham’s feat and support the creation of a documentary to be shown during the 2026 Centre Film Festival.
“The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau has been nothing but excellent to work with, and this undertaking would not happen without them,” Hollingham said. “Admittedly, it is such a bizarre ask from their perspective – a British Ph.D. student walks through their doors and asks for money to fund raise. Instead of saying, ‘who are you, go away,’ they said, ‘yes, how can we help?’”
Centre County Report contributed to this article.
