A FERNDOWN woman is preparing to scale a 2,000ft cliff face on what would have been hero Royal Marine John Thornton’s 27th birthday.

Maxine Tomczynska, who will turn 50 herself on April 12, the day of her gruelling Lake District slate mine challenge, wanted to mark their connection in a special way.

Her son Toby, now 22, went to Ferndown Air Training Corps with John, and her daughter Nina, 19, has a camera thanks to the John Thornton Young Achievers’ Foundation set up in his memory.

Maxine has shed five stone in the last 18 months, and is ‘Greatest Loser 2012’ at her Slimming World group.

The New Milton Infant School teacher, now a trim 13 stone, had to sign a waiver accepting she could die if she falls while walking, climbing and scrambling up the Via Ferrata at Honister Slate Mine.

“I found out at John’s funeral that I knew his mum Linda Thornton and he had been born on my 23rd birthday,” she said.

“It really affected me. John died 10 days before his 23rd and I found that really poignant.”

Husband David will join her on the Victorian miner’s route near Lake Buttermere, which will take around three hours to complete.

Maxine, who went to college in the Lake District, said: “The late mine owner’s motto was ‘rather live a day as a tiger than life as a mouse’, and one of John’s mottos was ‘better to live a year as a lion than a decade as a donkey’.

“I’m aiming to live a day as a tiger or a lion.”

Training has included gym workouts at Ferndown Leisure Centre, where Linda Thornton works, plus Nordic walking and aquafit sessions.

Maxine, who was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome a few years ago, has been focusing on building up her arm muscles.

Donate to the JTYAF at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/maxintomczynska