A man from Buckinghamshire is preparing to embark on a 100km trek through the Arabian desert in memory of his friend who died of a brain tumour.

Gerry O’Bradaigh, 66, is now a personal trainer and pilates instructor who lives in High Wycombe, but it is his military history, having left the army as a sergeant in 1990, that has best prepared him for a “physically demanding challenge” he is planning to embark on in just a few days.

Gerry’s close friend Sean Crossey, who also lived in High Wycombe, passed away from a highly aggressive brain tumour months after marrying his long-term partner in September 2018, when he was just 29 years old.

The 66-year-old is now preparing to take on the Oman Desert Challenge between November 7 and 11 to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research charity and pay tribute to his “inspirational” friend.

The challenge involves a solitary 100km trek across the Rub’ al-Khali desert, sleeping in a bivvy bag and eating rehydrated food, but Gerry described it as “very much a military thing” that he expects will be an exercise in reminiscence for him.

He added: “It’ll be a physically demanding challenge, with heat and distance the main obstacles, but doing it is certainly within my capabilities. I’ll aim to cover as much as I can in the first few days before I get too tired.

“I’m looking forward to the solitude because in our lives there’s constant noise, and nighttime in the desert when the skies are totally clear and there are lots of shooting stars; it’s beautiful.”

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Gerry said he had no idea how “prevalent and devastating” brain tumours were before he lost Sean, whose photos he has on his phone as a way to keep his friend close by.

“I’m looking forward to remembering Sean because what happened to him, although devastating for his family, also traumatised his friendship group.

“It’s also Remembrance Sunday whilst I’m away and the military friends I’ve lost are always on my mind so that will no doubt come into it.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Sean’s sad story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any time.

“They kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

“We’re determined to change this but can’t do it alone. We’re grateful for Gerry’s support and wish him the best of luck with his challenge. Together we will find a cure.”