A FORMER heroin addict from Southampton could become the first Briton to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole and back.

Aaron Ballard set himself the gruelling challenge after saying he realised he could do anything he set his mind to after beating the addiction that at one point left him living in a tent with a broken arm.

The 35-year-old now hopes to set a new record in November next year and become only the second person to ever complete the feat and raise thousands of pounds for an addiction charity in the process.

Aaron was a heroin addict for ten years and became homeless.

But he turned his life around after being taken in by a woman who gave him shelter and supported him alongside anti-addiction services.

Since becoming clean eight years ago, Aaron has got a job at fibre optic sensor firm Moog Insensys in Segensworth and started a course in health psychology at Solent University.

He has also become a marathon runner and often climbs mountains in Wales – but has now decided to turn his hand to an even harder challenge.

While several Britons have completed a one-way trek to the South Pole from Hercules Inlet on the Antarctic coastline, none have completed a return trip.

Aaron, from Shirley, told the Daily Echo: “I had just gotten into university, and came to the realisation that I could do anything. Literally anything.

“I never thought I could get clean, but I did it. I never thought I could turn my life around – but I did it.

“So I got to thinking, given that I could do anything, what did I want to do?

“In the end, I decided that I wanted to do something that was so difficult, that it would demonstrate to the world that there are no limits to what can be achieved after addiction.

“So often people are written off once they have become addicts.

“I aim to change that.

“I want to show that a life without limits is possible- you only have to have a dream, and work hard to achieve it.”

He says he was inspired by reading Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ tales cold weather expeditions and aims to leave in November next year.

Daily Echo:

He aims to achieve the trek in 89 days, and is now putting himself to the tasks of training for between 15 and 20 hours a week and raising £80,000 to fund the expedition.

He will be raising money for national drug and alcohol charity Addaction.

Anyone wanting to donate to Aaron can do so at http://www.tenttopole.com/.