Australian to raise disease awareness with North Pole trek

An Australian adventure is preparing to trek to the North Pole - all in aid of a good cause.

Tom Smitheringale is taking on the epic challenge to raise money for the Burnet Institute.

The company, which is also known as Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Public Health, helps in the fight against diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Mr Smitheringale is aiming to not only raise money for this good cause, but to also become the first Australian to make it to the North Pole alone.

He revealed that his training regime for the expedition has included drinking bottles of olive oil.

The 39-year-old will be setting off on his trip from the Canadian arctic in February.

Burnet Institute, which is based in Melbourne, was founded in 1986 and is one of the 12 collaborating centres approved by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS.

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