Stafford man to climb Kilimanjaro with fridge on back

Michael Copeland has already climbed Snowdon with a fridge, and completed the 3 Peaks Challenge in under 24 hours

A former soldier is planning to climb Africa's highest mountain with a fridge strapped to his back.

Michael Copeland from Stafford has previously climbed Snowdon and completed the Three Peaks Challenge in under 24 hours while carrying a fridge.

In March, he is set to take a domestic appliance up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for charity MIND.

The fridge represented the burden of mental health difficulties many people carried, Mr Copeland said.

Of the Kilimanjaro climb, he explained he had to pick a difficult challenge that would "get people putting their hands in their pockets again".

He said: "With something as big and difficult as mental health is, I've got to do something that replicates that."

Money is to be donated to the charity's North Staffs branch.

Mr Copeland carries the fridge to represent the overwhelming feeling of mental health struggles

The former soldier - who became a bodybuilder when he left the Army - is carrying his fridge up mountains during training sessions.

But he said to avoid complications at customs, he would leave it behind and source a different fridge once he made it to Africa.

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