Here’s a story to brighten our dark January days. As a turbulent 2018 drew to a close, two men achieved what no-one has done before: they crossed the Antarctic continent from coast to coast, each alone, unsupported and unassisted. US adventure athlete Colin O’Brady and British Army Captain Louis Rudd set off on 3 November 2018 (one mile apart), each pulling a 150kg sled which included tent and sleeping bag as well as all food and fuel supplies for the two month journey. They braved 30-mile-an-hour headwinds, sub-40C temperatures and whiteouts, along with a treacherous terrain in which crevasses and ice waves posed constant danger. Crossing 940 miles, O’Brady reached his destination after 54 days on 26 December, Rudd two days later. Through the unimaginable physical and mental strain, they experienced moments of elation and awe. On day 40, O’Brady wrote:”SOUTH POLE!!! I made it!!! What a day. I expected to be happy reaching the South Pole, but today has quite honestly been one of the best days of my entire life.” And Rudd posted on day 53: “The sun came out; blue skies and then the peaks of the Transantarctic mountains, which I haven’t seen at all all day, but I knew were close, all lit up before me. It was fantastic.”

Both men, whilst obviously experienced and determined, were driven by deeply personal experiences. Rudd hoped to honour his late friend and mentor Henry Worsley, who attempted the traverse in 2016 but about 100 miles from the finish succumbed to an infection, from which he ultimately died. Rudd carried Worsley’s family crest flag on his journey.

O’Brady had suffered serious burn injuries to his legs as a youngster and has spoken widely about this early lesson in overcoming adversity through re-learning to walk, one step at a time. Since then, he has set himself, and achieved, many challenging adventure goals, including running a triathlon (which he won) and scaling each continent’s highest peak (which he did in record time). He has also set up a not-for-profit company through which he shares his experiences to inspire others. He talks of his desire to inspire “kids to dream big. … Set a goal, take the first steps, the chair is right in front of you. When you feel like giving up, put your boots back on.”

Despite these personal stories, the US and UK media were quick to frame the expeditions as a contest, “an epic race” between “dueling adventurers”. Continue reading →