Soldier to walk 140 miles across the frozen North

Lance Cpl Nick Webb, from St Annes, suffered a fractured heel when he stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device during a tour of Afghanistan in 2012.

His tour of the war torn country was cut short by the injury, but the 24-year-old has made a remarkable recovery since and conquered some of the toughest challenges the world has to offer.

Not content with reaching the South Pole in minus 44 degree temperatures with other injured servicemen last year, the Royal Dragoon Guards soldier will today set off on a 140-mile, six day walk, across the Arctic’s Baffin Island - the largest island in Canada.

He said: “I still suffer from a lot of pain in my heel especially when I start walking, but I’m still a serving soldier and I can’t wait.

“It’s supposed to be a beautiful place and even better scenery than the South Pole.

“I don’t know how my heel is going to be because it’s a different type of weather there, but when it’s cold it usually starts aching a lot more.

“I’ll be a bit more mentally prepared for this as I know what to expect, but it’s still going to be hard because I’ve never been to the Baffin Island before.”

Lance Cpl Webb will not be alone on his journey as he is being joined by a team with a wealth of experience.

The expedition will be led by adventurer David Hempleman Adams - the first person in history to reach the geographic and magnetic North and South Poles.

Lance Cpl Webb added: “He is such a nice guy and he is really fit for his age (52).

“During my training I’ve been pulling tyres and running along the beach to prepare for this.

“It involves a lot of endurance training and I’ve got to keep going because when we walked to the pole we had to do 10 miles a day.

“You always want to do more but you can’t want to because the moment you go over 12 miles you are going to be tired, it’s about pacing yourself.”