HE is an all-round action man who is taking on the challenges of a lifetime on a global scale.

In a mammoth endurance quest he has dubbed The Magnificent Seven, Southampton's Ed Crook is attempting to paddle, cycle, climb and run his way through a host of physical challenges and terrains.

Not content with completing one adventure, 27- year-old Ed is bidding to finish seven, all by the time he is 30.

It was in a pub with a friend that the idea to take on some of the worlds most demanding challenges was first formed and since then it has grown into an epic seven-year mission.

Ed, from Bassett, Southampton, said: "We were talking about the sort of things we wanted to do in life and we put together a list.

"I am not sure where some of the challenges came from but they're all things I've always wanted to do.

"I didn't want to get to a point in life where I wished I'd done things instead of just talk about them."

The Magnificent Seven began with the London Marathon in 2005 before canoeing across France a year later. Last year he reached the summit of Kilimanjaro and this year he's planning to tick running the Great Wall of China marathon off his list.

"The canoeing was probably the hardest physically," said Ed.

"The Kilimanjaro challenge was more organisational and skilled rather than physically demanding,"

he added.

Along with pushing his personal fitness and stamina to the limit Ed is also drumming up thousands of pounds for Children with Leukaemia.

The city broker is on course to raise about £20,000 thanks to sponsorship, donations and the backing of a number of sponsors including CMC Markets, the British Schools Exploring Society and support from theWoodmill activity centre in Southampton.

Ed is now in the final planning stages for the China marathon at the end of the month.

To sponsor Ed log on to his website bmycharity.com/china08.