Injured Navy commander takes on 100km charity walk

Cdr Polly Hatchard has nerve and ligament damage from when she trekked to the South Pole but says her pain will be the children's charity's gain

A Royal Navy engineer, who was the first woman in the military to reach the South Pole, is preparing to take on her next challenge - here in the UK.

Cdr Polly Hatchard from Somerset plans to walk 100km (62 miles) along the Jurassic Coast from morning until night fall on Friday to raise £1,000 for the Rainbow Trust Children's charity that supports families with a child that has a life-threatening or terminal illness.

Famed for being one of the toughest ultra hiking challenges in the UK, Cdr Hatchard will be carrying an injury too.

She suffered nerve and ligament damage from reaching the South Pole in 2006 and said: "I know that every step whilst it might hurt, my pain will literally be the children's gain."

'Pain builds over time'

She will start the trek at Corfe Castle and aims to finish in Bridport, covering almost 2,300m (7545 ft) in elevation.

Ms Hatchard is the head of air engineering at RNAS Yeovilton and has over 25 years of experience in her field.

"My greatest threat in training and on the actual event is not being able to take the excruciating pain that builds over time on the balls of my feet and toes," she added.

"Mentally, I will just have to work through the pain barrier. My pain will be the children’s gain."

'I have so much'

After putting her career on pause to raise two children, Ms Hatchard said she was inspired to raise money for a worthwhile charity.

"I have my health, my children and a career I love," she said. "I have so much more than some other people, and so I want to give something to help others."

During the challenge, she will be accompanied by her partner Ben.

"We have a strategy - we're not going to think until the end. We're just going to do every 10k just breaking it down," she said.