Never Give Up says first British woman to reach North Pole unassisted
How often have you been asked "If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?"
Last night I had the most awesome experience having dinner with Amelia Russell, a 29 year medic who is currently studying to become a surgeon. Amelia came to talk to Peterborough's Clinical Society about her 500 mile walk from Canada to the Geographic North Pole with her boyfriend (now husband) Dan. They did this completely unassisted (no dogs, guides, TV crews or fanfare). Why? Because they wanted to do something really hard. And have a holiday!
Never Give Up
I give Amelia an A for Inspiration.
A few facts about her trip that inspire me to push myself harder:
- She and Dan took 57 days to walk 500 miles to reach the Geographic North Pole
- Every day they were cold, hungry and survived on 6000 calories and 4 hours sleep
- Falling on the ice that was as hard as concrete happened daily – once Amelia dislocated her left shoulder which she quickly pulled back into its socket and kept going (ouch!)
- She lost 10 kgs in body weight and suffered malnutrition
- They each pulled a sledge double their body weights
- They trained for two years, pulling 4 car tires up and down the Suffolk hills to build their strength
Two days from the North Pole, Amelia fell into water without an immersion suit and was submerged in icy water for 10 minutes. Dan wasn't around and she knew she had to find the strength to get out on her own. After a few failed attempts and a dodgy left shoulder, she managed to heave herself onto the ice. She says her "Never Give Up" attitude saved her that day. She was so close to reaching her goal and wasn't going to give up.
Above all, I give Amelia an A for Authenticity.
She is friendly, warm, humble and tells it like it is. And she loves sharing her experiences with anyone who is interested to hear or read about their expedition. Unlike most polar explorers, she and Dan share their tips on equipment and preparation with others attempting similar trips. For free.
All the best Amelia with your career as a surgeon. I am sure you will continue to inspire others to dig deep to explore what they are made of!
Katherine Wiid is the founder of Recrion, specialists in career and people management. Helping you move away from uncertainty towards clarity in your career - www.recrion.co.uk; +44 (0)1780 484910
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Comments on Never Give Up says first British woman to reach North Pole unassisted
When a woman does something exceptional and fails they say it's because she's a woman. When a woman does something exceptional and succeeds, they say she's exceptional. Amelia Russell IS exceptional. She's also inspirational……
What do you think it is that makes us all so different? Some are happy to just 'cruise' and hope that their 'ship' will come in or 'lotto ticket ' will win, whilst others strive for the almost unattainable, and challenge themselves constantly on many fronts! Perhaps there is room for us all – those at the top and the bottom of the 'To do' list. I think we need such inspirational people with amazing commitment and tenacity, to encourage us to look forwards and outwards, to make a difference somewhere and somehow step by step.
Thanks Kathy and Beth for your comments.
What makes us all different? Certainly our motivations and how we function at an unconscious level. When I chatted to Amelia she came across strongly as very goal focused with the ability to break down her goals into manageable chunks. 500 miles is a long way – yet she managed that and the monotony of trudging through the ice each day.
Remarkable.
I couldn't do the 'constant cold' let alone the falling on the ice and in the water. Guess as you say Katherine, it is individual motivation, goal focus and in cases like Amelia's, grim determination to achieve (at all costs?).
Reminds me of the televised documentary of the 'help for heroes' group who having lost limbs etc in Afghanistan 'walked' to the pole with artificial limbs to raise money for wounded and disabled colleagues and their families. Again it seemed that it was absolute focus and determination that got them through the ice-flows and blizzards in appalling discomfort.
Vanda many thanks for your thoughts.
I did see that Help for Heroes documentary so could visualise Amelia's descriptions of the weather and icy conditions well. Made her injuries and survival even more poignant …..