Caroline Hamilton
(Expedition Leader)
Age 35
Film Financier, London
It was Caroline's vision of taking a team of 'ordinary' women to the North Pole that inspired the McVitie's Penguin Polar Relay in 1997. Her energy, determination and sheer drive were key to turning the idea into reality and it was she who lead the 20-strong relay team across the Arctic to become the first all-female expedition to reach the North Pole.
Following her return from the North Pole, Caroline's attention turned to another, even greater challenge. Having been to one Pole, she was determined to go to the other. This time, the team would walk to the South Pole reaching their destination, according to plan, early in the new millennium. Once again she was the driving force behind the organisation of the expedition and spearheaded the marketing campaign that made it possible. Two years on, she is on her way to realising another dream.
Speaking before the team's departure for the South Pole in October 1999, Caroline recalled the "amazing, exhilarating" experience of being on the Arctic ice. She described the effect of the team's isolation and their absolute focus on two fundamental needs - to survive and to move forward - as "cleansing". She was looking forward to experiencing this once more, although she was apprehensive about being hit by "the first gust of icy wind and the freezing temperature" upon stepping off the plane in Antarctica.
Above all she could not wait to get started. After many long months of preparation simply setting off represented a major achievement in its own right. How this may compare to the feeling she may have upon standing on the South Pole only Caroline will be able to describe.
Ann Daniels
Age 32
Mother of three, Yeovil
Originating from Yorkshire, Ann was completely dedicated to her career in banking until she gave birth to triplets five years ago. The experience of looking after three babies at once was enough to convince her that no challenge would be too much for her. She was to be proved right.
Ann attended the selection weekend for the North Pole Relay on Dartmoor despite previously having had no outdoor experience whatsoever. Halfway through the gruelling weekend she made a decision that, come what may, she would succeed and be part of the expedition team. After that, she trained single-mindedly for selection, even getting up in the middle of the night to go running, walking or orienteering. She achieved an extraordinary level of fitness.
This level of fitness, combined with enormous determination, enabled her to play a crucial role in the 1997 expedition. As a member of the first team in the relay she helped to set the pace, conquering notorious pressure ridges and providing the team with an extremely positive start.
Since 1997 Ann has kept herself in top physical condition. Her association with a Navy base allowed her the opportunity of training with the military and she was regularly put through her paces on military assault courses. Recently she finished second female in the Welsh 1000 race. She also went on a survival weekend on Dartmoor, during which she foraged for her own food and travelled nearly fifty miles on foot.
When she is not undertaking survival exercises, running competitively or walking to one of the Poles, Ann lives with her triplets in Yeovil, Somerset.
Zoe Hudson
Age 32
Chartered Physiotherapist specialising in sports medicine. Senior Lecturer at the University of East London
Zoe Hudson was born in Yorkshire and comes from Leeds although she now lives in London. Aside from being an avid Leeds United fan, she is one of the physiotherapists to the Great Britain able and disabled swimming teams and the Irish Women's rugby team and also physiotherapy consultant to various Premiership football clubs and professional rugby players. She is currently completing her PhD at QMW, University of London and is co-editor of Physical Therapy in Sport.
Although Zoe only took up walking a few years ago, she was already an accomplished sports competitor. She is an excellent skier, loves training and has completed two London Marathons.
Zoe went to the North Pole because she wanted to test herself to the limit. Once she had returned home and had a chance to savour her success, she felt the urge to push that limit even further. Undertaking the expedition to the South Pole promised just the opportunity she was looking for.
Before she left, Zoe anticipated that the journey to the South Pole would pose a very different challenge to the North. Not only will she be on the ice for a significantly greater length of time, but the journey itself is longer and of a different character. The team will climb from sea level to over 9000 feet and Zoe was conscious that the conditions would be persistently colder and windier than they were in the Arctic. She felt, though, that her experience of the Arctic had prepared her to an extent for the Antarctic. She knows that intense concentration on the task in hand will make it hard to think about anything else, however, in an environment Zoe describes as "humbling" she intends to savour the best of every day.
Zoe was responsible for designing training and dietary regimes for the team and her medical skills, which proved invaluable in the Arctic when Pom Oliver fell through the ice and dislocated her shoulder, may come in extremely useful to the team while they are travelling.
Pom Oliver
Age 46
Building Renovator, W. Sussex
Twenty years ago, Pom Oliver hitchhiked from Cape Town to Sydney where she settled and worked as both a film producer and financier. She has since moved back to England, where she is married and lives in Sussex. Now 46, she has retired from the film industry and works as a building renovator.
Pom met Caroline Hamilton when they worked together in film financing. She travelled on the final leg of the North Pole Relay with Caroline and Zoe. On the second day of their leg Pom fell through the ice and dislocated her shoulder. Out of sheer determination and in spite of intense pain she continued for the final 100 miles, hauling her sledge with one arm to achieve her goal.
Amongst other travel, Pom has driven the length of the Karakoram Highway in a truck, sailed from Mombasa to Madagascar and, last year, she went backpacking with her 80 year old mother through Central America for ten weeks.
Pom's physical preparations for the M&G ISA Challenge included eating in a variety of restaurants.
Rosie Stancer
Age 39
Freelance Writer, Prague
Rosie Stancer has long harboured an ambition to go to the South Pole. At 5'3" she has a tiny build yet she is extremely strong. She enjoys fell and cross-country running, is a Neolithic marathon runner and an enthusiastic participant in dangerous sports. She was one of the first women to bungee jump in the UK.
Past family connections may have influenced Rosie's enthusiasm for Polar exploration. Her grandfather narrowly missed out on being part of Scott's ill-fated South Pole expedition because he was too tall for the tent. Her husband's grandfather, Sir James Wordie, explored Antarctica with Shackleton. Rosie is also a great-niece of the Queen Mother.
In 1997 Rosie was a key member of the penultimate team that brought the expedition back on course after it had been hit very badly by drifting ice. Although she was glad to return home after completing her leg, Rosie declared that the experience had not left her "sated". She wanted to continue even at the time, so it was inevitable that she would soon look for a tough challenge in a similar vein.
Rosie saw the expedition to the South Pole as a natural progression from the North Pole relay and an irresistable challenge. Nonetheless, she anticipated the second expedition would be "completely different" in nature to the last. A tougher endurance challenge, undoubtedly, yet before leaving Rosie expressed only positive expectations. She was looking forward to the learning, both physical and psychological, that she expected as a result of different company and different responsibilities. She was also enthusiastic about the chance to experience the "different beauties" of Antarctica. More than anything, though, Rosie said she was looking forward to enjoying "isolation".
Julian Mills Base Manager
Julian Mills is Managing Director of Synergy, a UK based company specialising in marketing and PR representation in the UK marketplace for foreign companies and organisations from the tourism and leisure sector. Having acted as the base manager for Stephen Martin and Dave Mitchell's unsupported expedition to the North Pole in 1997 (the first by a British team), Julian has very kindly agreed to do the same for the M&G ISA Challenge on a voluntary basis. He is in regular contact with the team on their BT Iridium telephone and he is responsible for handling any emergencies. As base manager, Julian is also the central contact for all sponsor and media liaison. If you would like any further information or to send any messages to the team while they are in Antarctica, please e-mail Julian at julian_mv_mills
Pen Hadow Logistics and Field Manager
Pen Hadow is Managing Director of The Polar Travel Company, a specialist organisation which he founded a few years ago building on his successful career as a polar guide. His own ambitious endeavours have taken him to Norway, Greenland and the Arctic Ocean and his company's operations have recently expanded to incorporate Antarctica as well.
Pen has always believed that, with careful management, 'ordinary' people can build extraordinary teams to achieve major goals. This was exemplified in his involvement in organising the McVities Penguin Polar Relay, one of the largest-scale North Pole expeditions to have been undertaken in recent times.
Pen has played a key role in the preparations for the M&G ISA Challenge. In particular, he has been the expedition's field manager in the final stages before the departure from both the UK and Chile.
Flo has unparalleled experience in designing and building radio communications systems for use in the harshest conditions on earth. His radios and batteries have been used on some 30 expeditions to the North and South Poles, including the first circumnavigation of the globe by Sir Ranulph Fiennes in 1979 - 82. Much of Flo's work is carried out from him home base in Aberdeen although he has been a member of the British Antarctic Survey and has travelled extensively in Antarctica.
Flo has been instrumental to the M&G ISA Challenge in designing complex batteries and re-charging systems for the expedition's electrical equipment.
Geoff Somers MBE Training and technical advice
Geoff Somers has been awarded the Polar medal for services to education and Polar exploration. He has considerable experience and amongst other achievements was a member of the 1989 International Trans-Antarctica Expedition. The 4000-mile journey, which took seven months to complete, enabled Geoff to complete the longest dog-sledding in history. He was also the first person to cross Greenland on foot.
Having lived and worked in Antarctica for many years and having trained the North Pole expedition team, Geoff was ideally placed to play a vital role in the M&G ISA Challenge. He is trainer and technical advisor to the expedition and has trained the team in the UK and Norway.
