Stephen Smart has caught the adventure fever. He and 19 colleagues of a UK DIY store have signed up for an Alaskan trek next month.

The team will set off on September 2nd, in aid of raising money for Leukaemia Research. A head of them lies ice climbing, trekking and whitewater rafting, but 21 year old Stephen isn’t fazed by the daunting challenge.

‘My parents really encouraged me to do it’ he explains, ‘They think it suits me down to the ground’

To help raise money for the expedition, the team have also two sponsored bike rides and they are right on target to raising their combined £50,000. Stricken with ambition, Stephen even hopes to surpass this.

Preparation for the expedition hasn’t been a case of simply starting a regular exercise routine, as Stephen already stays active. The team have just completed two treks up Mount Snowdon, taking two different routes. Each route was at a different level of difficulty, and were designed to give a sense of what lay ahead.

But Stephen has definitely caught the adventuring spirit:

‘I’d never done anything like that before. I just want to get back out there and that was only Snowdon. I can’t imagine what Alaska will be like’

It seems Alaska may just be the beginning for this young adventurer.