Military charity Pilgrim Bandits has announced who is taking part in a kayak expedition this year. The organisation has arranged the expedition, which will see injured service men and women and veterans kayaking to Greenland later this year.

The expedition lasts for two weeks and will see the chosen team heading across part of the Arctic to Greenland. As well as being a long journey, those taking part will also have to deal with icebergs, frozen waters and glacier fronts along the way.

Injured veterans will be teamed with able-bodied teammates in double kayaks, while fee-paying kayakers will also be joining in to offset some of the costs of the expedition. The fees will also go toward the charity's continued efforts to create a purpose-built kayaking training centre in England.

Each day, the team will kayak for up to five hours, with stops only taking place for lunch. If all goes to plan, they should travel around 20 miles a day. As well as the kayaking, they will camp out in the wild and catch their own food, including black cod.

Those selected for the trip are  L/Bdr Ben Parkinson MBE, Doncaster. Cpl Hari Magar, Canterbury. Cpl Vince Manley, Plymouth. Adam Cyr (Canadian Special Forces) Stuart Holcroft, ex Royal Artillery. Steven Allen, confidential as serving. L/Cpl Tyler Christopher, Cardiff along with Alex Lewis (a civilian quad-amputee), Stockbridge, Hampshire.

Injured team members have all undergone comprehensive training in preparation, with three of them going on to achieve Level One coaching qualifications in kayaking, with the training being funded by the charity.

Andre Edwards, general manager for the charity, said: “This is a hard core trip. Hazardous and gruelling and fraught with dangers. We have employed the expertise of highly regarded guides but this trip will certainly challenge everyone taking part. We will be completely isolated and away from all civilisation. The glaciers are active and the waters -30c – with luck nobody will be capsizing. On the upside, we expect to see all manner of wildlife including seals, eagles and foxes and to see the Northern Lights.”

Pilgrim Bandits provides training for injured veterans who want to pursue a career in the leisure sector or get ready for similar expeditions.ADNFCR-2867-ID-801823169-ADNFCR

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