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Commando
Joe, a team of former and serving British Army Commandos, will embark
on the gruelling 320-mile Polar Challenge next month (April 2005),
hoping to raise at least £20,000 for the Meningitis Trust.
Icy
preparation
In
preparation for the extreme temperatures - perhaps as low as minus
60ºC - that they'll experience during the expected 19 day race,
the University of Gloucestershire offered Commando Joe use of its
special Environmental Chamber.
It's
a little-known facility that can emulate temperatures anywhere on
Earth, from the Arctic to the Sahara. For Commando Joe, the chamber
had its temperature turned down to a chilly –20ºc, with
large fans added to the space, to mimic the icy winds that the team
will experience in the Arctic.
Gloucestershire's
Charlie Martell, who's the Commando Joe team leader, explained the
importance of this experience:
“Arctic
training is part and parcel of becoming a Commando, however the
human body does take time to acclimatise to such severe conditions,
so it’s a fantastic opportunity to be able to use the University’s
facility.
“We
are using the chamber to get our bodies used to exercising and functioning
in cold weather, as well as practising other tasks such as tent
pitching, cooking and the all-important daily equipment checks.”
Bravery
Accompanying
Charlie, who now works in the humanitarian sector as a mine-clearance
specialist, will be Steve Clewley, 36, a Commando who was recently
awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery.
Steve
helped save the lives of eight soldiers after an horrific missile
explosion in Afghanistan that killed another five, during a tour
of duty which also gained him an MBE.
Steve
explains what's so important about the Commando Joe Polar Challenge:
"In
2000, meningitis almost claimed the life of my two-year old son.
I'd been talking about doing something to repay my gratitude to
the Meningitis Trust, for the support they offered me and my wife
Martine, so when Charlie explained he was racing to the Arctic,
I jumped at the chance.
"As
well as fitness, it's about mental attitude. Working in the chamber
will go a long way towards preparing us for that."
Extreme
challenges
The
Polar Challenge is the first of three 'extreme' challenges being
undertaken by Commando Joe in support of the Meningitis Trust.
In
2006 they intend to become the first four-man team to row the treacherous
North Atlantic route, and in 2007 they will attempt an as-yet untried
race in unrelenting desert heat.
For
more information about the three challenges, check out the articles
below...
See
also: Commando
Joe - what's it all about?
See also: An
interview with Charlie Martell
See also: An
interview with Adrian Bell
If
you would like to comment on this story get in touch at gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
or have your say on our messageboard
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A
research facility capable of recreating any climate on the planet
will play an essential role in training a team intent on setting a
record for racing to the North Pole on foot...
