A SIXTH form pupil's burning ambition to become a Royal Marine has inspired more than 20 students to get fit for a gruelling charity challenge.

Rick Griffiths, aged 17, spends his weekends running round the reservoirs above Bolton with a rucksack packed full of house bricks.

He said: "My friends think I'm a nutter doing things like that but I've got to keep committed to reaching peak fitness if I want to make my dream come true."

Rick's tough personal fitness regime includes a four-mile run each lunchtime, training in the gym every day, swimming on a Sunday morning and running with his back-pack round the Jumbles and Wayoh reservoirs once a week.

Rick said: "It's always been my dream to get into the Marines since I was a young boy. If I stay disciplined and committed I think I can do it."

The Turton School sixth former has already experienced a week on a Marines training course at Norton Manor in Devon.

During the week long taster course he learned field craft and tackled the Marine's gruelling assault course.

He said: "That week made me realise it really is what I want to do."

Now he aims to get accepted by the Marines on a scheme which would sponsor him through university.

One of the key qualities Marines look for in new recruits is leadership and Rick has proved his powers of persuasion by organising five teams to tackle the Krypton Factor assault course in aid of the Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund.

They will go on the assault course on May 25. Anyone who wants to sponsor them can call the sixth form on Bolton 595888.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.