IT will be his biggest challenge since beating cancer.

Inspirational Hampshire teenager Matt Arding has vowed to run next year’s Flora London Marathon despite being almost blind.

Matt says he will tackle the gruelling 26-mile course as a thank you to all the doctors, nurses and medical staff who helped him in his battle against the killer disease.

The 19-year-old has become an ambassador for the Wessex Cancer Trust’s youth campaign and it is this charity he hopes to raise funds for.

He said: “I just can’t thank the hospital and the trust enough for what they have done for me, the service they provide is second to none. This is the best way I could think of to thank them and that has spurred me on to train.”

Matt, from Sholing, was just six months old when he was diagnosed with retina blastoma, a form of retinal cancer in both eyes.

The early treatment was successful until he reached the age of 15. Then he was found to have cancer around the left eye, cheek bone, nose and brain.

Matt spent his 16th birthday undergoing intensive chemotherapy and later had to suffer a 20-hour operation at Southampton General Hospital in which doctors were forced to remove his eye leaving him with just ten per cent of vision in the remaining eye.

Since having the last of his treatment Matt said he is determined to make the most of his life and is urging other young people to do the same.

His story struck a chord with Carl Critchlow, owner of Accolade fitness centre, in Northam, who has given Matt and his father Paul free gym membership and helped Matt devise a strict training regime to help make his marathon dream come true.

Carl said the gym was named with people like Matt in mind.

He said: “Matt is the kind of person who makes my job worthwhile.

He has sheer determination and a goal to take part in the 2009 marathon.

“We are delighted to be able to play a part in his experience.”

Matt will run the marathon with his arm tied to that of another runner and will have to walk the parts of the routes which are crowded but is determined to complete the course and raise at least £1,000 for the charity.

He said: “Before I was ill I used to play football and do lots of other things but I know I’ll have to get fitter first. I suppose you could look at it as my way of celebrating the end of my treatment or the sense of personal achievement but it is mainly my way of saying thank you.”

Matt’s plight has touched the hearts of many including former Saints manager Harry Redknapp who arranged for Matt to lead his beloved side on to the pitch in a Premiership match just days before his operation. FIFA vice-president Jack Warner made Matt’s World Cup dream come true providing tickets to England’s match against Trinidad and Tobago in Germany 2006.