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Friday, February 14, 2014

The Antarctica Challenge - A Race in the Spirit of Kinship, Support, and Solidarity

I don’t quite remember where I first heard of the Walking With the Wounded Challenge. I suspect it was during one of my many restless periods, when I begin to scorn my comfortable surroundings and long to pursue the excitement and perils of outdoor adventures; the kind of romanticized, exotic exploits that my exploration idols like Howard Carter and Roy Chapman Andrews often undertook. Under this state of yearning, I no doubt used my trusted computer and internet-friend, Google, to unearth potential journeys I might be interested in pursuing in the near future. It’s highly probable that while randomly looking up different extreme travel destinations I eventually typed in the challenge favorite, Mount Everest, which ultimately brought my attention to two things: a link to the Walking With the Wounded (WWTW) page and Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales. I noticed his name continuously attached to a previous challenge in Mount Everest he was forced to desist and new potential trek across Antarctica - a charity challenge for Walking With the Wounded. Remembering the British royal’s similar taste for hazardous environments and adventures with an edge, I clicked on the WWTW page and began to learn more.


           Officially known as the Virgin South Pole Allied Challenge 2013, thanks largely to Virgin sponsorship, the expedition involved three teams: Team Glenfiddich (UK), Team Noom Coach (US), and Team Soldier On (Commonwealth), journeying roughly 208 miles (335 km) across the frigid expanse of Antarctica in a race to reach the Geographic South Pole. At first glance, the Challenge seemed little more than a thrill seeking trial, wild and fraught with unexpected difficulties but not exactly unheard of. As I browsed through the website, however, I began to comprehend its actual nature and the reasoning behind it. The Virgin South Pole Allied Challenge added an additional level of difficulty given that the majority of participating men and women would be soldiers and veterans of The Armed Forces that had been injured while on active duty. First established in 2010, WWTW was created as “a charity organization where expeditions would demonstrate the fortitude and bravery of the servicemen and women and inspire them and others who have disabilities.” Suddenly, Prince Harry’s involvement in the organization no longer had the distinctive air of royal obligation. As an officer in The Armed Forces himself, his patronage and active participation seemed to show a more personal sense of moral duty - one of camaraderie. 
           
           I felt inspired, and I admit, excited. Here was an expedition that bore all of the markings of the adventures I had always admired – a distant, unfamiliar environment, high risks, and undertaken by those whose courage are enough to overcome any fear of failure - and yet, for once the outcome was eclipsed by the significance of the challenge itself. It was a race meant to show courage and bravery, yes, but also human resilience and the insurmountable determination to overcome adversity. I wondered if the excitement I felt was the same as those who had witnessed the journey of Fritjof Nansen on his quest to reach the northernmost point of the world or the race to the South Pole between Amundsen and Scott; people unable to make the journey themselves but experiencing the wonder through what was read and heard. I too could not participate in the Challenge, but like others, I could experience it vicariously through the participants themselves. And I made certain I did.
           
           Modern technology and social media certainly made feeling as if you were part of the team much easier. Pictures of Prince Harry enduring a cold training session with the UK team began to circulate online news sites as early as mid-September. But social media platforms had another obvious function - generating publicity. Through sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, team members were able to post continuous updates on the challenge, reaching the online public on a global scale. The participation of established figures on both the US and Commonwealth teams certainly helped increase public interest as well. Swedish-born actor, Alexander Skarsgård, best known for his work as the Nordic vampire on the HBO series, True Blood, joined Team US, while the English actor Dominic West, popularly known for his role as a Baltimore detective on another HBO series, The Wire, was a support team mentor for Team Commonwealth. With such public figures and such a wide variety of media outlets, all of the participants were able to generate excitement from the very beginning, piquing the public’s interest and increasing the anticipation for the race.

           
          Originally, the teams had planned to set out for Antarctica in November and reach the South Pole by December 17th. But as previous expeditions have taught us, and this race was no exception, things do not always go as planned, no matter how well thought out. The initial launch began well. The departure broadcast took place in Trafalgar Square, London, on November 14th, with Prince Harry officiating the start of the Challenge. On Monday, November 18th, the teams arrived safely in Cape Town, South Africa, ready to set out to the Novo Airbase in Antarctica the following morning. However, strong winds made flying unsuitable and they were forced to delay for several days, finally setting off Friday, November 22nd. On their arrival at Novo Airbase, the WWTW website informed everyone that the teams had arrived safely and would settle there for a few days in order to acclimate to the altitude and sub zero temperatures. From here, the three teams were to be transferred to the second base camp from where the race was to begin. In between the wait, audio recordings of some of the members, describing their experience so far, were posted on the official WWTH website and Facebook page. Others expressed their opinions through blogs or through pictures that allowed the landscape to speak for itself.
                                          
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           It was difficult for me to contain my excitement; to look at the pictures and see the equipment, the gear, the people, the sheer enormity of the expedition amid that frozen land and not pretend to be there with them, imagining what I myself would feel looking at the endless white floor that stretched across the horizon. My impatience, no doubt, was nothing compared to that of the teams, as the wait for the transference to the second base camp was delayed for several more days due to an unforeseen snowstorm. The constant, unpredictable weather served as a reminder to everyone of just how hazardous and extreme the conditions were and I wondered if the extent of what they were all about to face was really starting to sink in.

            Finally, on Sunday, December 1st, the race began. Any anxiety that may have been felt was put on hold as all three teams made their way to reach the South Pole. By the end of day one, Team UK, was in the lead, followed by Team Commonwealth, with Team US bringing up the rear. A voice diary was uploaded to the website, describing their first day experiences. Ed Parker, the Expedition Director and Team US Coach seemed to voice the collective agreement that “everyone found it a little harder than they were expecting.” By day two the UK was still in the lead, with the US coming in second and Commonwealth third. The cold was no longer the only difficulty the teams had to cope with. Sastrugi, described as frozen waves made by the wind against the snow, made it difficult for many of the team members, slowing them down as they tried to figure out ways to get around them safely. In addition, the added weight of their pulks (a type of sled used to hold gear), unexpected uphill inclinations, dry air, and an elevation of 2600 meters, created strains that, by day three, had begun to take their toll. A video of Eric Philip from Team Commonwealth was posted, where he described having breathing problems and a small, but persistent dry cough. Shortly after, he was examined by the chief medical doctor, Dan Roiz de Sa, who found fluid in his lungs. Due to the dangers if left untreated, Philip was forced to temporarily drop out of the race in order to recover. Having mentioned on video that he had been to Antarctica at least five times before, Philip looked put out by his unexpected condition but seemed to understand that proper rest would allow him to continue the race later on instead of being pulled out entirely.

            On December 7th, news arrived that all three teams had made it to the first checkpoint. With this update came a new, unexpected announcement in the Challenge. With 112 km left to go, and with the safety of all the team members at the forefront of the expedition, Ed Parker announced that after some serious deliberation with the doctors and teams, he had decided to call off the race portion of the event.

         “ The reason for this is entirely simple – safety, which remains the core principal 

The news was unexpected but not entirely surprising. I can imagine it was not an easy decision to make. The race element is what added to the excitement and what really pushed all of the players to reach the South Pole first. No doubt the doctors and team coaches were afraid the team members were beginning to push themselves a bit too hard. Without the added stress of the race, the teams would now be able to continue at their own pace and support each other as a single unit. 

           The decision was made at a good time as Team US member Therese Frentz highlighted another aspect of the Challenge that was difficult to cope with – isolation. It’s curious really, when you read the journals or accounts of expeditions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the emotional detachment most of them are written in. Yes, they often describe their sense of wonder and excitement at journeying someplace new or largely uninhabited, but rarely do they pointedly observe the feelings of loneliness and isolation that come with that kind of journey. You can perceive it with every mention of someone missing home or complaint of a type of food, culture or environment that isn’t their own, but it is reluctantly, if ever, voiced aloud; as though doing so would spoil the wonder and convey too much human weakness. Here again, the Challenge distinguished itself from other adventures by encouraging the participants to express themselves openly to the public. In a voice diary, and later a video, Therese explains that it is not just the physical exhaustion that one has to cope with, but the emotional, mental strain she had to deal with. The difficulty, she admitted, was the hours of silence everyone would endure when skiing in a line, where the only two views she had were the back of her teammate’s head and a 360­­º panorama of snow. She added that the teams would take regular breaks to give their teammates support and encouragement, but it was during those moments of silence where she couldn’t help notice how desolate it all looked, and how alone and far away they really were.

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          By December 11th the teams were just 45 km from the South Pole. They estimated that at their average pace, they would reach their goal in two days time. This proved correct for on Friday, December 13th, 2013 at 12:48 GMT, the teams arrived at the Geographic South Pole. The moment was just as surreal and incomparable as I had expected it to be. Everyone seemed to be in a daze; amazed they had made it to the finish line and in disbelief at where they were and what they had just achieved. I woke up to find pictures and messages of beaming men and women, disregarding their own tiredness and rejoicing in their success. There were the traditional, official photos, with each team holding their respective flags and standing behind the South Pole (it is an actual pole), and   then there were the not so formal ones.             
                                                                          
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Images of participants laughing and grabbing onto the Pole were all over the Internet. Duncan Slater, a double amputee, who was wounded in Afghanistan in 2009, took a picture next to the Pole with his prosthetic legs on the side. It was later revealed that he also offered one of them as a substitute ice bucket for the celebratory champagne. Nudity became another form of celebration. Alexander Skarsgård humorously twittered a picture of himself sitting naked on a latrine, reading a book, and Dominic West later recounted how two Aussies from the Commonwealth team decided to 
strip down and run around in victory. Even Prince Harry adopted his more relaxed self, entertaining everyone with bawdy jokes and admitting to the voice diary that the evening would end with a lot of whiskey.   

           The following morning, Prince Harry, as the official patron, formally presented the winning trophy to all of the teams. They had planned to remain in the South Pole until December 20th, in order to give everyone an opportunity to rest properly, but an approaching cyclone made them decide to leave early, returning to Novo Airbase on the 17th and arriving in Cape Town the next day. With the trek to Antarctica completed, the participants were able to return home in time to celebrate the holidays with their families and friends. On January 21st, 2014, Prince Harry held a press conference in London, officially signaling the end of the challenge. In total, the Virgin South Pole Allied Challenge 2013 raised £121,440.76 in donations, money that will go to helping wounded soldiers find careers outside of the military. He thanked and congratulated everyone involved, reminding the public that the Challenge was meant to demonstrate that disabilities do not impede people from achieving something incredible.

            He is right, of course. Disabilities can demoralize our confidence in ourselves and, in our lowest moments, make everything feel hopeless and futile. I think Antarctica as the chosen location of the challenge was a fitting one. The very landscape, with its bleak and unpredictable environment is a visual reflection of the internal human struggles people face. What better way to show people overcoming their own adversities than by taking on a place with such adverse conditions? The journey may be long, difficult, painful and at times, overwhelming, but not unconquerable.


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