In April 2010, I am attempting to reach the magnetic north pole solo, in aid of Help for Heroes and the Afghanistan Trust charities. Arctic exploration is regarded as one of the most arduous tests of physical and mental endurance in the world with temperatures plummeting as low as -50°c.

I will be required to drag my equipment on a sledge, weighing over 150lbs, 350 miles through an area which is home to 80% of the world's polar bears. I will be racing against four teams of three, all competing in the world's most extreme annual endurance race, known as the Polar Challenge.