A baker from Alderley Edge is preparing for a mammoth cycling trip through France to raise money for a charity close to his heart.
Gary Morrison, 45, will be cycling from Calais to Ville Franche, just east of Nice, to raise funds for Help 4 Heroes.
He will be completing the 800 mile trip on his own and intends to finish in less than seven days.
Gary, who works at G Wienholts, told me "I was inspired for this challenge by my father in law (Martin Wienholt) who did this challenge in 1984. I have always had challenges in my life and since I retired from the army six years ago it's long past the date for more."
The former soldier is no stranger to physical challenges having carried out operations in Iraq, Bosnia and Serbia, as well as taking part in boxing competitions, parachuting and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. However, cycling 800 miles will be a new experience.
Gary said "My training has been interrupted some what, due to moving house, however I have maintained a good level of physical fitness and I am in good health. From here on, until 27th May, I will increase the tempo and train specifically for cycling. I have a number of routes planned around Cheshire and Lancashire."
Having served in an infantry unit for 22 years, beginning as a 17-year-old private and reaching the rank of Colour Sergeant, Gary is passionate about supporting those wounded in Britain's current conflicts.
He said "My career has taken me through a lot of varied responsibilities and roles. I served in many hot spots, beginning with tours of Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Bosnia, Cosovo, Iraq, Kuwait, Canada and Germany - each tour a different role and a different challenge.
"I genuinely feel very fortunate to be in good health. I have witnessed a lot of injury and fatalities both during operations and in peace time. I now read and watch the news and see the tragedies that are occurring to fellow soldiers currently on operations. I think our service men and women get good support, but not nearly full support.
"Help 4 Heroes is independent and all the proceeds go directly to the charity and service personnel. I wholeheartedly believe this is an excellent cause to help a service man or woman adapt to a huge change in there lives."
Gary will embark on his cycling challenge on May 27th.
If you would like to support Gary's efforts to raise money for Help 4 Heroes, collection boxes can be found in Murphy's Barbers, the Village Cafe, the Union Club and G Wienholts.
Alternatively you can donate online at http://www.bmycharity.com/GaryMorrison, which enables gift aid to be collected on donations.
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