AN adrenaline junkie will tackle an epic water sport challenge when he canoes three Scottish lochs in four days in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Sam Leyland, 28, from Blackburn, will take on the mammoth task in memory of his fiancée Caitlin’s grandmother Gina – affectionately known as Grandma G - who died from lung cancer aged 74 last April.

Starting on Tuesday, Sam and friend Ross Whitaker will canoe for around eight hours a day, covering approximately 60 miles across lochs Lochy, Oich and Ness, camping on the loch’s edges each night.

They’ll also tackle rivers and rapids - and hopefully avoid running into the Loch Ness Monster - on the trail that will take them from the Caledonian Canal in the west of Scotland to Inverness in the east, where they expect to arrive on May 21.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Sam’s no danger to adrenaline-fuelled challenges as being a keen cold-water swimmer, he says he wanted to push himself in memory of Gina, who he says received an incredible amount of support from Macmillan.

He said: “I’m hoping the cold-water swimming will help me out in case we capsize.

“I wanted to push myself to do something a bit different to raise as much money as possible.

"I think Caitlin would have preferred it if I fundraised by doing something at home where I would be safe and dry, but I’m not about that.

“We’re taking everything that we need for camping, including packet food and more importantly, mosquito nets, because it’s terrible for mosquitos at this time of year.

"We’ve been out practicing and did a six-hour canoe in the Lake District, so I’m hoping we’ll be able to take this on no problem.

“I’m a bit of an adrenaline-junkie so I want to take on the rapids. And even if there’s danger, I plan to push on.

“Macmillan were fantastic with Grandma G. The level of support offered to her and to the family was amazing. I just wanted to do something to say thank you.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Sam will take a drone to film his epic journey and plans to create a video for his YouTube channel.

Relationship fundraising co-ordinator at Macmillan, Hannah Escritt, said: “Sam’s challenge is fantastic.

"Hopefully he won’t need to rely on his cold-water swimming experience and stays as dry as possible.

“We’re so happy we were able to support Gina through her treatment and her family after she sadly passed away.

"We’re committed to doing whatever it takes to support people affected by cancer, and fundraisers like Sam allow us to do just that, so on behalf of Macmillan, a massive thank you to him.

“Whether it’s a canoeing challenge like Sam’s, braving the shave, hosting a coffee morning or running a marathon, there are hundreds of ways you can support us, and anyone thinking about fundraising can get in touch via our website or social media pages.”

To donate to Sam’s challenge, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thegreatglencanoeexpedition