5 Continents. 6 Faiths. 7 Languages. 8 Women. 1 daring ambition .....
The Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition saw 8 women from the Commonwealth countries of Cyprus, Ghana, India, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand, Jamaica and the United Kingdom brave blizzards, crevasses and temperatures below -30C as they skied over 900 kilometres across Antarctica to the Geographic South Pole.
Marking the 60th aniversary of the Commonwealth, the expedition aimed to demonstrate the potential of the greater intercultural understanding and exchange, while at the same time highlighting the achievements of women across the world.
The team members from Brunei, Cyprus, Ghana and Jamaica were the first people from their nation to ski to the South Pole. Those from India, Singapore and New Zealand were the first women from their country to do so.
Fantastic as these achievements are, the expedition was about much more than national and global records. The team members returned to their home countries as role models to inspire women, to reach beyond the expectation of others and follow their own path.
Representing a Commonwealth of 52 nations and 2 billion people around the globe, the expedition team was a diverse group of real women selected from over 800 applicants. Before joining the expedition many of the team members had never been in sub-zero temperatures, put on a pair of skis or spent the night in a tent - a fact that made the challenge they undertook even more remarkable.
The 900km journey from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole took 38 days, two days ahead of schedule arriving at the South Pole at 23:09 on the 29th December 2009.
