A Carrbridge man is taking on a 700-mile trek to the South Pole to raise research funds after his mum died of liver cancer in 2018.
41-year-old Ben Weber will set off on his Antarctic journey next week with hopes of reaching the South Pole by Boxing Day.
Mr Weber is raising money for Cancer Research UK as he walks.
With temperatures reaching below minus 40C and battling stormy weather conditions, Mr Weber admits it will be a difficult task, particularly in the early stages.
He said: “The first three or four days will be tough as I will be climbing up from sea level with my sled weighing 240lbs which will be a real slog.
“I’ve had a lot of training so I am hoping when I get those first days over things will be a bit easier.”
‘Memories of mum suffering are clear’
Mr Weber considered taking on this challenge for years, but the sudden blow of losing his mum Marian pushed him to do it and raise money for the charity.
He believes the memories of his mother’s final days will remain with him for the rest of his life.
He said: “It was a shock to the entire family. While she had had aches and pains with age, she had always been active and had seemed well.
“Initially the prognosis wasn’t clear, though within a couple of days we had found out that it was terminal.
“She had liver cancer which spread through her body as it had been growing for some years and wasn’t picked up on.
“While some time has now gone by, the memories of seeing mum suffering over her last few days are still very clear and very present.
“I’m not entirely sure that those memories will truly ever fade,” he explained.
Mr Weber learned to ski in 2014 and has since been on several Arctic expeditions including Greenland which has prepared him for this trip.
He recalled: “I love challenges and have gone on several expeditions in the Arctic in the past few years.”
‘One in two of us will get cancer’
Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman in Scotland thanked Mr Weber for taking on this courageous challenge.
She said: “We’d like to thank Ben for everything that he is doing to support life-saving research by taking on this challenge.
“We’re working towards a world where we can all live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer. Beating cancer is a long game, but it’s one that – together – we will win.
“Cancer Research UK has made enormous progress in the fight against the disease.
“However, we have only been able to do this thanks to the dedication and commitment of volunteers and supporters like Ben without whom we would not be able to fund our life-saving work.
“One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. All of us can support the research that will beat it.”
Last week, health experts warned there has been a 40% increase in liver cancer deaths compared to 10 years ago.
Donations to Mr Weber’s Cancer Research UK challenge can be made on JustGiving.
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