ADVENTURER Darren Edwards plans to chill out at New Year – in one of the coldest places on earth.
Darren, paralysed from the chest and operating at the absolute limit of what is possible with a high-level spinal cord injury, is skiing 222 kilometres to the South Pole in -30C temperatures, in just 20 days.
Originally planned for last spring, but cancelled due to sponsorship issues, this new adventure will mark a major milestone in polar exploration history.
The furthest currently travelled by a sit-skier to reach the Pole is 111km.
The 35-year-old ex-army reservist is being supported by British explorer Lucy Shepherd, chief scout Dwayne Fields and award-winning film maker Matthew Biggar.
Antarctica is a dangerous place for anyone, let alone someone with Darren’s physical limitations. Working together, the team will face the risk of extreme temperatures, altitude sickness, exhaustion, and adverse environmental conditions including high winds, snowstorms, and crevasses.
“There will be new challenges,” said Darren. “I won’t know if my legs or feet are getting frostbite. There is no textbook to explain how your body will respond. So, we won’t know until we get into the ice.”
In addition to changing perceptions of disability, the purpose behind Darren’s South Pole challenge is to raise £100,000 for the charity Wings for Life, which seeks to find a cure for spinal cord injury, and funds research and clinical trials globally.
Determination
Nine years ago, Darren was rock climbing in Snowdonia when his future was changed forever. He fell 40ft, leaving him instantly paralysed.
What followed was an arduous five-month journey through intensive care, surgery and rehabilitation, a determination to not be beaten, and the start of a series of daring and gruelling challenges. To date, his record-breaking adventures include becoming the first person with a spinal cord injury to kayak from Land’s End to John O’ Groats, in June 2021, and – less than a year later – the first to row the English Channel.
In October 2022, he was the first disabled person to complete the World Marathon Challenge – the iconic test of running seven marathons in seven days on seven different continents.
The following spring he was part of the first all-disabled team to cross Europe’s largest ice cap, the mighty Vatnajokull in Iceland.
Darren said: “I am excited to show that anything is possible.
“In my opinion, it is vital that we all push our own boundaries, both physically and mentally, regardless of the challenges we all face in life.”
