A COURAGEOUS East Renfrewshire man isn’t letting serious illness stand in the way of his ambition to trek through the Arctic for charity.

Scott McPhillimy, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), is preparing to take on the challenge of a lifetime that will see him clock up more than 40 miles by foot within three days in one of the most remote parts of the planet.

He will travel to Rovaniemi, Finland, in January next year with a team of fellow fundraisers as part of a charity drive for MS Society Scotland.

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Despite having problems with his right leg and issues with the vision in his right eye, 31-year-old Scott is confident he can cope with whatever the Arctic wilderness throws at him.

He told the Barrhead News: “I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2015, just before my 27th birthday, which means I will experience attacks of the disease followed by periods of partial or full recovery.

“The effects of MS have left me with issues affecting my vision and my right leg.

“Over the last two years, I have been lucky enough to be on a clinical trial for a new drug which has given me some much-needed stability.

“I am still continuing to challenge this illness. Taking part in the Tough Mudder event was my challenge in 2016, abseiling off the Forth Bridge was my challenge in 2017 and now the Arctic trek is shaping up to be my biggest challenge yet.

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“I struggle to walk long distances without a leg brace and, potentially, I’ll be dealing with temperatures of minus 30-degrees.”

Scott, who hails from Barrhead but now lives in neighbouring Newton Mearns, aims to complete 18 miles on day one of his Arctic trek, followed by 12 miles on day two and 11 miles on the final day.

Having bagged a couple of Munros and completed some long-distance walks along the Ayrshire coast, he is confident that he is well prepared.

“My main training has been walking up hills and climbing a couple of Munros to help build the strength in my legs,” said Scott. “I’m doing beach walks as well because the sand replicates the environment of walking on the snow.”

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Scott has raised £1,600 for MS Society Scotland so far and hopes to boost that total to £4,000.

As part of his fundraising drive, he has organised a black-tie event with dinner, entertainment and an auction, supported by local wedding boutique Wedding Wise.

This will take place at Giffnock Rugby Club on Friday, October 11.

For more information about the event or to support Scott’s charity drive, you can visit his Facebook page at ‘Challenge MS – Scott’s Arctic Trek.’ Alternatively, you can make a donation through his JustGiving page HERE.