Ann Daniels
World record breaking polar explorer Ann Daniels is an inspiration to those who hear her speak. She has led expeditions in the most hostile environments on earth, literally to the very top and bottom of the world, where strong leadership and teamwork are essential to achieve results in a world that is always challenging and the terrain ever changing.
She is one of the world’s leading female polar explorers. In the year 200O, she walked from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and in 2002 walked from Canada to the North Geographic Pole to become the first all women’s team in the world to manhaul to both the North and South poles. She is now involved in a new project to measure the thickness of the North Pole ice cap and will navigate a 3 man ice team over 1000 kilometres of frozen Arctic Ocean to the North Pole.
Ann first set her sights on the Polar Regions in 1995 when she was selected from over 200 applicants in an SAS style selection process to take part in the 1997 McVities Penguin Polar Relay. Although she had no previous outdoor experience, her grit, determination and positivity convinced the selectors not only to choose Ann for the team but to select her for the first and most arduous part of the journey. Team Alpha doubled the target mileage set for them and gave the expedition a fantastic start. On 27 May 1997 team Echo stepped onto the North Pole to celebrate success.
Arctic Survey 2009
Setting out in February 2009, the Arctic Survey expedition undertook a 100 day, 1000km crossing of the ice cap in temperatures as low as minus 50ºC. The survey team departed from Alaska, walking, skiing and on occasions swimming stretches of open water to reach the North Geographic Pole in June. The survey captured for the first time, detailed information of the ice thickness and its snow layers. Vital information that will be used by the scientific world to determine just how long the permanent ice cap will last.
In 2001 Ann became the first British female North Pole guide. She leads groups from varying backgrounds the last degree to the North and South Poles.
Ann tailors every speech to her audience and illustrates the importance of strong leadership, teamwork, the correct attitude, setting goals, managing change, overcoming the odds and the importance of persistence. There is no doubt she is an ordinary woman who has achieved the extraordinary.
