A wounded soldier from Wilmslow is taking on the toughest footrace on Earth, The Marathon Des Sables, with the hope of raising over £100,000 for Help for Heroes, Bath Rugby Foundation and Restart.
Known simply as the MdS, the race is a gruelling multi-stage adventure through a formidable landscape in one of the world's most inhospitable climates - the Sahara desert.
Martin Hewitt, 31, will be joined by former Bath Rugby player David Barnes and Bath Rugby Foundation Trustee Stuart Doughty. The three man team, called 'The Real MdS', will join over 1,000 men and women as they take on the challenge of crossing 150 miles in six days, while fighting intense temperatures of around 45°C. They will be required to be self-sufficient, carrying everything they need to survive on their back, except water and a tent to sleep in at night.
While the Marathon Des Sables is a punishing and back-breaking race for even the fittest of competitors, for Martin it's an even bigger challenge due to injuries he sustained fighting on the front-line in Afghanistan.
Martin was serving as a Captain in the Parachute Regiment when he was shot in the chest and foot during combat in Afghanistan. These injuries paralysed his right arm and ended his military career. Since his injuries, Martin has turned to elite sport and represented Great Britain in the Paralympic World championships competing in Downhill Ski Racing.
Martin has since developed teams of injured servicemen to take on world record attempts. In 2011 he walked unsupported to the Geographic North Pole joined by HRH Prince Harry and in 2012 climbed Mt Manaslu, Mt McKinley and led a team on Mt Everest expedition but unfortunately they were denied the summit as their trip was by hampered by poor weather and avalanche warnings.
He said: "I'm looking forward to starting this challenge with Stu and David, the training has been going well. Having spent the past five years ski racing and on expeditions in the extreme cold, this will be a real test for me and for our team."
The Marathon Des Sables runs from tomorrow, Friday 4th April until Monday 14th April and further information about the race can be found at www.marathondessables.co.uk.
Donations can be made via the Team's website at: http://mds2014.com.
