Crash survivor to attempt world record breaking Polar mission (From Wiltshire Times)

Crash survivor to attempt world record breaking Polar mission

3:30pm Friday 11th June 2010 in News By Mike Wilkinson, Senior Reporter

A Hilperton man is hoping to set a new world record by trekking to the South Pole and back, after recovering from a brain haemorrhage which left him unable to talk or walk.

Justin Miles, 37, has spent 10 years planning the amazing feat after an horrific car accident saw him crushed between two vehicles.

He learned to walk and talk again and the car smash, which happened in Telford, inspired him to fulfil his childhood dream and to get fit for the challenge of a lifetime.

The trip, which begins on October 23, will see him walk with a 200kg sleigh from the Antarctic coastline to the South Pole and back again, in a 2,200km round trip. He is attempting the feat which led to the death of explorer Captain Scott and his four comrades in an ill-fated expedition in 1912.

If Mr Miles completes the mission he will have earned a place in the record books.

Mr Miles, who lives on a narrowboat, said: “I was left unable to walk from my bedroom to the living room and I had to crawl.

“At the same time I would try to speak and I would know what I wanted to say but couldn’t get the words out. I broke down in tears because I was angry. I didn’t know what was going on with my body.

“I decided I wanted to do this challenge but set myself a 10-year gap with goals in between.

“My grandfather said to me when I was 14 ‘don’t ever aspire to be average’ so I never forgot that. We are doing this partly because it has never been done before.”

He will embark on the challenge with friend John Wilton-Davies, from south Devon, who is one of only a few people to have walked from the Antarctic coastline to the South Pole – but only one way.

Together they will battle temperatures as cold as minus 50 degrees Celsius and walk for 14 hours a day. The walk will take them 77 days and will be the equivalent of doing a marathon a day, carrying all the fuel and food they need.

The duo hope their adventure will inspire youngsters up and down the country to set their own smaller challenges.

They are hoping that many of Britain’s 38,000 schools will get involved and encourage children to take part between September 20 and October 20.

Money raised from the challenges and the South Pole expedition will go to the British Heart Foundation. Mr Miles is also looking for business sponsors.

Find out more about the trek at www.lastgreatchallenge.com

Tough Mission

*Justin Miles and John Wilton-Davies will have to contend with conditions that will feel as cold as minus 50 degrees Celsius because of the wind chill factor.

They will spend 14 hours walking, stopping every three hours for 10 minutes.

The rest of the day will be spent setting up a tent and trying to sleep, despite there being no sunset in the summer. But before all of that, they will have to get to the Antarctic coast.

They will fly to Chile and may have wait some time before they can find a ‘window’ in which they can travel to the icy continent.

When they arrive, they will enjoy a porridge-style breakfast made with powdered egg and bacon fat. All of their food will be dehydrated and reconstituted. Along the journey they will walk separately – for safety reasons and to limit conversation, thus conserving energy.

Mr Miles says he will count steps and do maths in his head to keep him occupied.

He added: “We can only bring two pairs of underwear, replacing the first pair when it disintegrates, and without the comfort of a bathroom, toilet duties will be done ‘as quick as possible’.