Soldier Ian Flannery is taking part in a 155-mile race across a desert in memory of his friend.
Captain Ian Flannery, from Haverhill, is taking part in the gruelling race across the Sahara Desert to raise money for a charity in honour of a fellow soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.
The 35-year-old is training hard to take part in the Marathon des Sables across the Moroccan desert in April. All money raised will go to the Capt James Philippson Trust Fund, which raises money for charities including Help for Heroes.
The trust was set up in memory of Capt ‘Jim’ Philippson, 29, who was killed in Sangin, a town in Afghanistan’s notorious Helmand province, in 2006.
Capt Flannery, a father of one who is currently based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said: “This will be the first time I’ve done anything like this. The longest race I’ve done before was the Abingdon Marathon in 2005.
“I joined as a friend was doing it, who has since dropped out, and though it’s quite daunting, being in Riyadh is ideal preparation as it’s actually hotter than where we will be racing.”
Capt Flannery, who used to play for Haverhill Rugby Club before he joined the army, is hoping his race will raise at least £10,000 for the charity.
He added: “Although Jim was from a different unit, we were still fairly matey and trained at the gym together. We were both in Camp Tombstone and when the opportunity came for us to get out of the camp, we both jumped on it.”