NORTH POLE CHALLENGE
Tuesday 27 April 2010
A Trinity College graduate has become the first British Woman and the youngest female ever to walk to the geographic North Pole unsupported.
Amelia Russell, aged 27, and her boyfriend Dan Darley, also a Trinity graduate, reached their icy destination yesterday, 12 hours ahead of schedule. They have spent the last 58 days walking the 500 miles across the ice from Ward Hunt Island in northern Canada.
Amelia completed the trip despite twice dislocating a shoulder, while Dan had to contend with a back injury. Other obstacles they faced included finding ways round areas of open water, known as leads, sometimes having to swim across these wearing immersion suits, rough terrain, poor visibility and the extreme cold with temperatures as low as - 50C. They each pulled two 75 KG sledges carrying food, fuel and equipment and used skis or snowshoes depending on the terrain.
They will now be picked up by helicopter as soon as weather conditions allow. The helicopter will fly them to Barneo, the Franco-Russian ice station, and from there they will be taken by a small jet to the island of Svalbard, off the north coast of Norway where their support team will meet them.
Amelia studied medicine at Trinity College. She learned to row in her first year and soon got a place in the College first boat, which culminated in becoming Head of the River in 2007 (coached by Dan), as well as winning the Boston Rowing Marathon in a coxed four in 2005 and narrowly missing out on the course record. Amelia represented the College and University in athletics, learned to fly with the RAF University Air Squadron, and played with the University Brass Band.
She graduated in 2007 and has continued to enjoy an active lifestyle during her first two years as a practising doctor at a South London hospital. She had her first experience of cross country skiing in 2007, competed in the Engadin Ski Marathon in 2008, and has taken up road cycling, where she spends many hours watching Dan's back wheel.
Dan was Captain of the First and Third Boat Club at Trinity and also rowed at University level with the Lightweight Rowing Club against Oxford.
Only 45 other people have successfully reached the North Pole unsupported, and only two of those women.
Dan and Amelia have been raising money for the charity Help For Heroes.
