Grandfather Martin Rafferty is preparing for a world-famous 200-mile trek across the Scottish Highlands. He tells health reporter Kate Liptrot how he stubbed out a 30-cigarettes-a-day habit to become an outward-bound adventurer.

A YEAR ago even climbing the stairs was starting to present a challenge to Martin Rafferty.

The former soldier was used to an active lifestyle, but as he got older, age – as well as a 40-year habit, smoking up to 30 cigarettes on some days – meant his pastime of hill walking was becoming a struggle.

When he managed to kick the habit last year through sheer willpower, he decided to start taking his hobby more seriously.

To his astonishment, 56-year-old Martin’s health kick started in a big way after he became one of 300 people to be given a place on the hugely oversubscribed Great Outdoors Challenge – a 200-mile trek across the Scottish Highlands.

With people applying from all over the world, the event is viewed as one of the most respected backpacking challenges in the world and will see Martin scaling mountains, hills and even fording rivers.

Spurred into action by kicking the habit, the grandfather-of-two from Clifton said he was now physically and financially (having saved about £3,500 on cigarettes) able to participate in the gruelling challenge.

Martin said: “I’ve never done a challenge like this. This is two weeks, 200 miles, 22,000 feet. That is three quarters the height of Everest. I couldn’t have walked more than 1,000 metres before I stopped smoking.

“It’s quite prestigious, there are only 300 places and people come from all over the world. I thought they would never accept me.

“When I found out I was terrified, surprised and amazed.

“I’m not getting younger and the cigarettes were not making things easier, but now I can manage.

“I went out at the weekend and did 16 miles which I couldn’t have done before. Going up hills would be a struggle. Going up the stairs would be a struggle.”

The self-supported trekkers will carry everything they need with them and sleep under canvas for May’s coast-to-coast challenge, expected to take two weeks.

With the help of his daughter Laura, Martin has also confronted his technophobia and has agreed to write a blog about his progress.

Laura said: “My dad is your typical grumpy old man, complete with pony tail and loud waistcoats. He’s cantankerous, has a slight paunch and some very forthright views. Naturally then, he’s not your typical image of a mountain trekker.

“My dad is able to take part in the challenge, which he is doing to raise money for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Help for Heroes, as he gave up smoking a year ago. This has allowed him to get fit but has also given him the money he needed for his equipment.”

Former military man Martin chose the RNIB in honour of his young granddaughter Skye, who was born with septo optic dysplasia and is blind.

He is now gearing up for the experience of a lifetime. “It’s going to be brilliant,” he said. “It’s two weeks of decisions that matter. The biggest decision we have in a day is what to have for tea, there we’ll be deciding whether to cross rivers.”

To follow his progress and to sponsor Martin in his challenge visit www.oldage-traveller.co.uk