Adventurers

Yannis has been a record breaking ultra-marathon runner for nearly 20 years. His career started with the first Athens-Sparta race, which he won, then broke a 72 hr race record set in 1882 in the New York Six-Day Run. His race successes include the Sydney to Melbourne race and the 1,000-mile Sri Chinmoy race in New York. In 1996 he broke a 24-hour race record in Coburg, in 1999, he ran two 1,000km races, Athens and Cyprus, and the second in Holland winning. Last year, Yannis took three world records in a 100-mile race in New Zealand – 12hrs, 35mins and 48 seconds. He also broke six age group world records after covering 284.07kms in a 24-hour Taipei race and ran in Surgeres, France in a 48-hour 436.702km race taking seven records.

Mike and Fiona made history when they became the first husband and wife team to reach both Poles. Mike started his adventure career by running marathons and mountain climbing. He participated in the first ever ironman triathlon, and went on to complete Operation Raleigh, sailing from Hawaii to Sydney. Fiona is a qualified glider pilot and gym instructor, and started her adventure career with Mike. Fiona and team-mate Catharine Hartley became the first women to reach the South Pole overland. On their return Mike and Fiona planned a similar expedition to the North Pole, and successfully became the first husband and wife team to reach both Poles on foot, as well as Fiona and Catherine becoming the first women to reach both Poles on foot.

Swee is South East Asia’s leading full time adventurer. In May 1998 he and his partner became the first Singaporean to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 1999 he led the first South East Asian team to the South Pole, and in 2000 he completed the Seven Summits by reaching the highest peaks on each of the seven continents becoming the first South East Asian to complete this feat. He is the first South East Asian to reach the summit of an 8,000m peak without the aid of oxygen, and then completed a North Pole expedition by ski, making him the first South East Asian and the fourth in the world to complete the adventure grand slam – the Seven Summits, the North & South Poles.

Paul is a French Canadian adventurer. He has led various mountaineering expeditions in South America and has led whitewater expeditions along rivers such as the Grand Canyon. He circumnavigated Baffin Island, traversing over 4000km and was a guide in an unsupported dog sled and ski expedition to the North Pole in 1998, covering 600km in 15 days. Two years later he and a friend took two dog teams to the North Pole, and in 2001 he guided the British Millennium North Pole expedition in which Fiona Thornewill and Catharine Hartley became the first women to reach both Poles. In 2002, Paul guided one of the fastest ski journeys to the North Pole – 45 days, then went on to guide an expedition to the South Pole in 58 days.

Brian is a very experienced radio and television journalist, having worked at BBC Radio, and then television for programmes such as “TV-am” and “Money Matters”. He created the financial programme “European Business Today” and later became the MD and editor of Euromoney Television and editor of BSkyB’s “Business Sunday”. His first adventure saw him driving a 1937 Austin 7 Ruby from London to Cape Town to get married. More recently Brian has advanced his adventures into the world of air travel, becoming the first man to microlight from London to Sydney, the first man to microlight around the world (a feat he achieved within 120 days) and also the first west to east crossing of the Atlantic by microlight.

Dom is a British ocean rower and yachtsman. In 1988 he joined the Royal Marine Commandos, and between operations he represented Great Britain, New Zealand and South Africa among others whilst ocean sailing. He has raced in the Maxi One circuit (hailed as the Formula One of the Sea) and has been on expeditions to the Arctic Circle and South American rainforests. He planned the first unsupported ocean row of the North Pacific with fellow rower Tim Welford. Their attempt saw them brave three typhoons and row their 24ft boat within 900 miles of America over 137 days. The attempt ended when a deep sea trawler struck their boat, breaking it in two, with Dom and Tim narrowly avoiding death.

Pasi is one of the world’s top orienteering personalities. He took 1st place in 2000 in the Raid Gauloises in China and Nepal, 1st in the Endless Odyssey in 1998 & 1999 in Norway and Sweden, and 1st place in the Raid Ukatak in 2001/2002 in Canada. He competed in the Salomon X- Adventure 15 times, taking a total of 5 1st placings. He came 5th in both the Raid Gauloises 2002 in Vietnam and the 1999 Eco Challenge in Argentina. He came 3rd in the 2001 Expedicao Mata Atlantica and 2nd in the 2001 Adrenalin Rush in Scotland. He has also competed in the Kebnekaise Classic in Sweden, the Riksgränsen Enduro Ski in Sweden and the World Championship Adventure Race 2001 in Switzerland.

Anna is the top female adventure racer in the UK and she is also in the top 10 female adventure racers worldwide. She has specifically been involved with the explorers support at the RGS. She has won solo events in mountain marathons (KIMM elite winner 2000), mountain biking (Himalayan Mountain Bike Race winner and winner of a number of UK races), marathon boating (national level paddler), and Olympic- and Ironman- distance triathlons. Her high profile status has been achieved not only through race results (UK and international) but also through charity and expedition work and as a selected, and highly profiled, athlete on the BBC ‘Tough Enough for the SAS?’ programme in 2002.

A qualified Doctor, Mike is one of the worlds leading medical experts on endurance, nutrition and survival under extreme conditions. He was formerly the Chief Scientist at the UK Centre for Human Sciences and is currently a Consultant Physician and Senior Lecturer in Medicine & Nutrition. He was involved the first attempt to walk to the North Pole and then completed the first unsupported crossing of Antarctica raising over $7 million for charity in the process. In 1993 he was awarded the OBE and Polar Medal. Since 1993 he has been at the forefront of British adventure and endurance racing including participation in the Marathon des Sables and the Eco-Challenge.

Although blind, Miles has successfully completed the 150-mile Marathon des Sables, the Saharan Ultra-Marathon – “The Toughest Footrace on Earth” and the Siberian Ice Marathon – “The Coldest Marathon on earth”. He competed in an 11-day ultra-marathon across the Gobi Desert, has crossed the entire Qatar Desert non-stop and unsupported and has hauled his own sled over 400km across Antarctica. He has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Blanc and has 40 sky-diving jumps to his name! In his latest project – “Around the World in 80 Ways” Miles and two fellow adventurers, each with a disability, used 80 different modes of transport to travel around the world.

Sir Ranulph has been one of the world’s foremost explorers since 1969 when he led the British Expedition on the White Nile. His journeys include Transglobe (the first surface journey around the world’s polar axis), the Ubar Expedition (which in 1991 discovered Ptolemy’s long-lost Atlantis of the Sands, the frankincense centre of the world), and the Pentland South Pole Expedition (the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic Continent). He has raised over $10 million for charity, written over a dozen books, and is a leading motivational speaker. In 1993 he was awarded the OBE and 1995 became the only person to hold a second Polar Medal.

Mr Naylor is a world-renowned endurance and mountain runner. One of his finest years came in 1972 where, at the age of 35, he set a record for endurance running by pounding over 92 miles of treacherous Lake District terrain and up and down 63 mountain peaks within 24 hours. He was assisted by various pacemen and helpers, including the former Olympic gold medallist, Chris Brasher. The entire achievement was televised by America’s NBS, and was confirmed as not being bettered anywhere else in the world. Mr Naylor is still running, and at the age of 64 he took part in the charitable 95 Wainwright Memorial Run.

Peter is a mountaineer, author, adventure travel operator and speaker. When he climbed Mount Everest in 1990, he and his father became the first father and son to conquer it together, 37 years after his father made the first ascent. This achievement was followed by a new adventure which traced a new route across Antarctica to the South Pole in a repeat of the father-son double. Peter has been involved in TV documentaries, is the author of four mountaineering books, designs outdoor equipment and helps his father with the operation of 42 schools and hospitals in the Mount Everest region of Nepal.

Victor has extensive experience in logistics and guiding, taking tourist teams to the North Pole as well as leading the Millennium Ski expedition to the South Pole. He was a geophysicist at the Russian scientific drifting station and the Russian Antarctic station, and was manager of geophysical expeditions in the Russian Arctic. He has also been co-leader on many scientific and filming expeditions to places such as Franz Josef Land in Russia. Victor has led many mountaineering trips to Mt. Elbrus, Caucasus, Tian-Shan, Mt. Aconcagua and Pamirs in the Kyzyl-Kum desert, Kilamanjaro and the Kamchatka volcanoes.

Robert is an adventurer, environmentalist and motivational speaker. In 1989 he became the first person in history to reach both the South and North Poles. Reaching the North Pole in 1989 was the culmination of 7 years of planning, training and fund raising. He then took his drive and experience into environmental projects following his keynote address at the Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio. He was appointed as the Special Envoy to the Director General of UNESCO in 1994. He recently spoke at the 2002 Earth Summit and continues to drive charitable business activities relating to youth and the environment.

A trained engineer, Alain has spent much of the past 25 years as a professional adventurer and environmentalist. He has been technical advisor to major outdoor equipment manufacturers, and his adventures have been the inspiration for several award-winning books and films. After participating in the first successful Belgian Arctic expedition, Alain completed the longest unsupported polar journey, over some 4000km, in Antarctica, a record that stands today. A public speaker on global warming and the polar environment, he has been involved in many research projects and exhibitions and recently established the International Polar Foundation.

Catherine worked as a stage manager and for the BBC’s Blue Peter television programme. Joining the South Pole Millennium Expedition, Catherine completed the expedition in January 2000 despite frostbite, and she and fellow team-mate Fiona Thornewill became the first women to walk to the South Pole. Following this, Catherine joined the 2001 North Pole expedition planned by Mike and Fiona Thornewill, and after successfully completing the expedition becoming the first British women to have reached both Poles on foot. She has just successfully published her book, “To The Poles Without A Beard”.

Geoff has over 25 years experience in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. He was a member of the transantarctic expedition of 1992 that traversed the Antarctic continent along its longest axis, a 4750 mile trip. He has guided numerous expeditions to the North Pole, as well as providing logistical and air support to Antarctic expeditions. He guided a 700 mile, 60 day polar expedition to the South Pole and has also trekked a grueling 1000 miles with Crispin Day and Robert Swan OBE from the South Pole to the Orville Coast.

One of Russia’s leading Polar specialists, Mr. Boyarsky has been working in the Arctic and Antarctic for over 20 years. He was originally a radioglaciologist at the Arctic Antarctic Research Institute, but he has been completing and leading expeditions since 1986. He was a member of both of the longest expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic, and more recently completed the Trans-Arctic dogsled expedition. He is founder of Russia’s leading polar expedition company, and more recently became director of the Russian State Arctic and Antarctic Museum.

During his 16 years with the Royal Marines, Alan faced some of the world’s toughest climates: arctic, desert, jungle through to remote mountains. He is a qualified diver, parachutist, paramedic and ski survival instructor. He spent 4 winters teaching arctic survival techniques in the mountains of north Norway. Alan led the first British team to walk unsupported in a 70 day, 500 mile trek from Canada to the geographical North Pole.

America’s leading polar adventurer, writer, and photographer, Will has led and participated in expeditions in the polar regions for over 17 years. He led a dogsled team to the North Pole in 1986, and organized the Trans-Antarctic expedition in 1990. Most recently, he led the first crossing of the Arctic by dogsled. Will currently spends most of his time on polar environmental and education projects.

One of the worlds leading Glaciologists, and holding a Phd in Glaciology and Climate Change, Qin is currently the Chinese representative to the WMO. He has led most of China’s Climate and Glaciology initiatives in the past 10 years whilst at the same time being involved in many global projects at a senior level.