A sixth former from Lydiard Park Academy has completed a double Everest challenge on his bike.

Everesting involves walking or cycling up and down the same hill until you have climbed the same hight as Mount Everest -29,028ft. But 17-year-old Marcello Grossi took it a step further and did it twice on Bannerdown Road hill in Batheaston.

Last year he was believed to be the youngest person to complete the feat in under 24 hours and this year he wanted to push himself even more.

He said: “I did it last year, but I did slightly more than it should be.

“I thought ‘I could just do two’. It was a case of ‘I think I can do it, why not do it?’

Marcello said the challenge itself wasn’t the hard part. Really it was the length of time it took to complete it.

He explained: “It was draining, because it was so long. In the end it was 20 hours of cycling and meant I was doing the challenge for 37 hours overall. Only stopping to sleep, eat and use the toilet.

“Going down was much easier than going up.”

Another obstacle the teenager had to contend with was the varying weather.

“On the first day it was fine, only a little bit rainy,” he said. “But then the second day took longer than I thought and it started tipping it down.

“It was cold, wet and wasn’t very pleasant.”

He wasn’t alone in the challenge. Some of his friends from the Swindon Wheelers cycling club, including Tony Wilson, rolled up to join him.

Marcello said: “I had cyclists from Swindon Wheelers cycling with me for practically all of it which was really fun.

“I’ve only been cycling for about three years so it was good to have the support. Tony cycled with me for 11 hours which was great.”

Despite his success, Marcello doesn’t plan on getting back in the saddle anytime soon.

“I told my friends if I say anything about doing another one or going for a trip, to hit me,” he said.

“It’s probably not a good idea to do another one. It’s alright getting caught up in the moment. But when you actually do it, you realise how tough it’s going to be.”

But Marcello was helped by his friends and family, including dad Robert and mum Claire, throughout the challenge.

“I had a few friends there with me and quite a few road users supported me. My parents spent a lot of time with me, from 3pm on the first day to 10am the next day.”