Marlborough Army Major Kate Philp is joining Prince Harry for a 200-mile charity race across Antarctica as part of a team of 12 wounded servicemen and women.

Maj Philp, who set off from Heathrow with the team last Thursday, will tackle the sub zero challenge, despite losing one of her legs during an explosion in Afghanistan.

In 2008 she was in command of a Warrior armoured vehicle in Helmand Province, when it went over an improvised explosive device and killed one of her men.

The blast shattered her lower left leg, leaving her heel and ankle with jigsaw fractures.

She chose to have it amputated below the knee in hospital.

Despite this, she was determined to continue serving The Royal Artillery with 3 UK Division in Bulford and after 16 months of rehabilitation she returned to work.

Servicemen and servicewomen taking part in the challenge have been split into three different teams – British, American and Commonwealth.

The British team will raise money for Walking With The Wounded, a UK-based charity which funds the re-training and re-education of wounded servicemen and servicewomen.

The whole team will begin on November 29, once they have acclimatised to the freezing temperatures and altitude, and they hope to reach the South Pole by December 16.

This will involve trekking around 15km to 20km per day, enduring temperatures as low as minus 45C and 50mph winds, and pulling 70kg sleds, known as pulks.

Maj Philp will be the only British female member of the team and will be supported by expert guides, doctors and mentors, including Prince Harry.

She decided to take part in the challenge to help her ongoing rehabilitation, to motivate others “to test their limits”, and to “inspire anyone who is dealing with hardship”.

Walking With The Wounded co-founder Ed Parker is also taking part and said it was emotional waving goodbye to family members at the airport.

He said: “Isolation is around the corner for us all, we won’t be speaking to our families for over five weeks, and so it’s an emotional time but it’s lovely to have them here to see us off.

“For us this is comfortably the biggest expedition we’ve ever done, and the aim remains with the expeditions to raise awareness so we can continue to do the work we’re doing supporting our wounded back to work.”

For more information, visit www.walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/ southpole2013