A weekly newspaper editor braved a walk over hot coals twice for charity.

As previously reported on HTFP, Herts Advertiser editor Matt Adams was due to complete a 15ft barefoot walk over the coals in aid of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.

However the experience was over so quickly that Matt, and others, retraced their steps once the challenge was over in order to make sure it was not a “one-off fluke”.

Matt was briefed by a veteran firewalker before the challenge to break down preconceptions about the experience he faced.

Matt during the challenge at Club Batchwood nightclub, in St Albans

In a piece for this week’s Advertiser, Matt wrote: “It was a very subtle process, lacking whoops and whistles, and yet somehow convinced us that we could successfully finish the firewalk without leaving our feet blistered and burned.

“And then I was off, purposefully walking a distance of five or six paces over freshly stoked coals, chanting a personal mantra to distract my conscious mind from the possibility of injury, yet at the same time aware of the sensation of something akin to warm sand beneath my feet.

“It was all over so quickly that it hardly seemed to register after such a long build-up, so just to make sure it wasn’t a one-off fluke, we all did it again!

“It was an incredibly empowering feeling, and ultimately about much more than firewalking. It was about breaking down mental barriers, recognising one’s inherent ability to do something remarkable, and celebrating the power of mind over matter.”