A FORMER soldier is about to take on the biggest challenge of his life to raise money in memory of a family friend.

Nick Thomas, 38, believes his nine years at Marchwood Army barracks will stand him in good stead for the ten-day trek up Kilimanjaro.

The Shirley dad-of-two is is hoping to raise £4,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer after 51-year-old mum-of-two Gina Henry, of Southampton, died in September 2007 after battling the disease for seven years.

Now a dock worker, he said: “After Gina died I just wanted to do something to help.

“I heard this charity was under funded and that £4,000 could buy an incubator.”

Nick will start the walk on September 18.

For more information, log on to justgiving.com/nicholas thomas2.