An ex-serviceman from Perth is gearing up for a chilly charity challenge in the land of the South Pole.
Ross Bingham will set out on New Year’s Day to run a marathon 26.2 miles across the frozen plains of Antarctica, while wearing a 15kg backpack.
The gruelling dash will raise money for Combat Street, the UK’s leading mental health charity for veterans.
Ross, who is working as a heavy plant mechanic for the British Antarctic Survey at Rothera Research Station, will face extreme elements and temperatures that regularly drop below -35 degrees.
He was inspired to take up the challenge after friends in the military died this year as a result of mental health problems.
Ross, who served in the army for seven years with posts in Canada and the Falkland Islands, said: “I’ve lost friends from the military this year due to mental health problems and I want to do something to help stop it.
“Mental health problems in serving soldiers and veterans is far higher than the general public and unfortunately too many of them resort to taking their own life.”
He said he wanted to change peoples’ attitudes about mental health, drop helpful stigmas and “make it as common to talk about as the weather.”
Ross said: “This is my first event for Combat Stress, but it will not be my last.
“Mental health problems in serving soldiers and veterans is such an important issue, and if I can make a difference then I’m willing to put myself through anything.
“Training has been very difficult due to the weather and balancing work, but having 24 hours of sunlight has helped, and I even have a glacier on the doorstep that I have been using for hill reps.”
Robert Marsh, Director of Fundraising at Combat Stress, said: “We’re so grateful to Ross for choosing to support Combat Stress with this extreme endurance challenge.”
He said: “A small but significant number of those leaving the Armed Forces develop mental health problems and have difficulty leaving the battlefield behind.
“Without our help, their lives can become desperate. Anxiety, anger, depression, isolation and, in some cases, suicide can tear families apart, destroy relationships and devastate lives.”
Robert added: “Without fundraisers like Ross we wouldn’t be able to continue providing our life-changing treatment to help veterans tackle the past and take on the future.”
