Major joins Polar Challenge (From This is Hampshire)

Major joins Polar Challenge

6:24am Saturday 12th April 2008

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A TOP army officer from Winchester is about to embark on one of nature's toughest challenges.

Major Steve Napier is second in command of the Army Training Regiment in Andover Road and, along with team mates Barney Franklin, 32, of Gloucestershire and Giles Greenslade, 33, of Wiltshire, is in Canada ready to tackle the Polar Challenge 2008 - a race to the North Pole.

Major Napier, 37, and his team have taken part in their last piece of training in the town of Resolute in preparation for the 350-mile trek.

The trio - under the moniker Best Served Chilled' - are one of the favourites to win the race and are raising money for three charities - The Afghanistan Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support and The St Roses School For Special Needs Children in Gloucestershire.

They hope to top £30,000 of fundraising in total.

Major Napier, who is in the Parachute Regiment, said: "The chance of going to the North Pole is an opportunity that rarely comes round.

"Polar Challenge offers a racing environment coupled with the extremes of weather and terrain. I am very much looking forward to the challenge and all it brings."

To prepare for the challenge, the team has been taking part in a series of mini-expeditions and weekends in Wales, Norway and the Arctic to learn how to withstand temperatures that dip to -50C and how to deal with polar bears and other Arctic hazards, such as frost bite.

Major Napier has also run several mountain and road marathons, which he hopes will stand him in good stead as he hauls 120lb of equipment with him.

The race is set to take four weeks to complete and the team will be up against competitors from all over the world.

To keep an eye on the race, visit www.polar-challenge.com and to make a donation to Major Napier's charities visit www.bestservedchilled.net.

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