Julia Stacey from Ardley was selected for the journey to all four North Poles after a week-long endurance test.

Team leader Jim McNeill, 42, a fire officer at Windsor Castle, hopes to smash five records by walking to the Arctic, the Magnetic, the Geomagnetic and the Geographic poles.

The Ice Warrior project is in aid of Cancer Research UK.

I've had a lot of close friends die of cancer so as much as I can do for Cancer Research UK the better Julia Stacey

Julia has no previous experience of polar exploration and Jim McNeill has set her a gruelling training regime to prepare her for the Arctic adventure.

When the fitness instructor is not pulling a training rig weighing about 200 kilos through local parks, she is jogging for hours every day.

Despite the training, she said she was delighted to be part of the 12 strong support team for amateur explorer McNeill.

"Apart from it being the most amazing adventure, it's such a huge project, there's so much involved, not just one expedition to the pole it also involves at lot of research and a lot of experiments both mentally and physically out in the Arctic."

Training trip

Mr McNeill, of Sunninghill in Berkshire said he was delighted with her progress.

"Julia's doing exceptionally - she's full of determination and has the right sort of enthusiasm required for this sort of grind," he said.

The fact that the expedition is in aid of a cancer charity was crucial to Julia's decision in joining the team.

"I've had a lot of close friends die of cancer so as much as I can do for cancer research UK the better."

The team will leave soon for a two month training trip in the Arctic with the full expedition planned for December.