A female soldier from Chippenham is looking to break a world record - while serving on the frontline in Afghanistan.

Squadron Leader Nel Tindale and 11 of her colleagues will be pounding along a treadmill in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the number of miles run in 24 hours on a treadmill by a team of 12 females.

The difference with this record attempt is she will be doing it on 12 June in 45 degree heat at the Headquarters of the UK Task Force at Lashkar Gah, in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan. The current record stands at 162.5 miles.

The girls are all serving as part of 19 Light Brigade, which has the emblem of a black panther. To better reflect the femininity of the challengers the team has nicknamed themselves ‘The Pink Panthers of Lashkar Gah’.

Sqn Ldr Tindale, 33, said: “It will be a real challenge. We’ve all been doing a maximum amount of training in some very hot and dry conditions; we just hope it’s enough!”

Sqn Ldr Tindale is an RAF officer working within Headquarters 19 Light Brigade, based in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. She is two months into her six month deployment to Helmand Province. Her role is ensuring that patrolling soldiers are given the best possible support from RAF and other coalition air assets to make them as safe as possible.

A resident of Chippenham since 2007 when she moved into the area, Sqn Ldr Tindale said, “We were looking for a worthwhile challenge to spur us to keep fit, but also to raise money for two very worthwhile charities. One of the girls came up with the idea of a World Record attempt, and, not being one to resist a challenge….”

Training for the girls has been restricted to running around the helicopter landing pad (all 330 metres of it!) and training in the small but well-equipped camp gym. The average temperature is currently 45ºC in the shade, which makes training all the more strenuous.

“Finding time to train during the day that fits into our work routine and with the punishing temperatures has proved challenging”, said Sqn Ldr Tindale, who joined the RAF in 1997 and has served in the Falkland Islands, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Lithuania.

The World Record team will consist of female officers from the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, as well as a civilian, who works – and trains – alongside her military colleagues. One girl will run at a time with the 24 hours split down into 20 minute shifts; they will need to run at a steady 11.5km per hour to break the record.

In order to reflect their commitment to those who give so much in discharging their military duties, as well as to the people of Afghanistan, the team have decided to use this record attempt to raise funds for two charities: the British Limbless Ex-Service Men’s Association (BLESMA) and the Afghan Appeal, a charity that promotes awareness of the plight of Afghanistan’s people and raises funds for specific projects such as schools and equipment.

Donations can be made at: www.justgiving.com/pinkpantherslkgaa and www.justgiving.com/pinkpantherslkgblesma