SOUTH - an update
This has been a pretty overwhelming week for me. So many of you have emailed me with your support that I've let my macho façade slip on occasion and got a little emotional. It's been especially cool to see people getting in contact who don't know me from Adam. They read a blog that linked to another blog that linked to my site and just got what we're trying to do. One of the first to own a mile was Brad Smith, who wrote:
'I am a quiet man living in the suburbs of western Sydney, Australia. I have a severe vision disability and am profoundly deaf. So what you guys are doing is something I would love to dare, dream, and live.
On this note Ben, best of luck to you and your team. Just know that I will be with all you guys in spirit. Not just for one mile, but for every single shred of snow, every single blink of that magnificent vast expanse.'
Thanks Brad for making my day. Moral support is every bit as important as financial backing, and I know from experience that it's this kind of message that will keep Tony and I going when things get tough.
If you haven't done so yet, we'd love you to own a mile of the next expedition.
{ Filed under SOUTH on Thursday, July 28th, 2005. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site. }
Ben Saunders is the youngest person to ski solo to the North Pole and holds the record for the longest solo Arctic journey by a Briton.
Brad wrote:
Ben, Tony and the SOUTH team. You guys are a symbol of the human spirit and show the willingness to "have a go". I have no doubt that you, Tony, and the whole SOUTH team will achieve what you set out to do.
July 29 2005 · 5:36 am
Ben wrote:
Cheers Brad :)
'Having a go' is what it's all about…
July 29 2005 · 5:24 pm
Pete Barr-Watson wrote:
I have to say that whilst the whole human endeavour thing is fantastic and so interesting to me (Mike Stroud's book 'Survival of the fittest' started that particular passion) the fact that Ben and the team are helping to keep the flame of British adventuring alive as well makes it all the more superb. (Is it still ok to say that kind of thing in public!?)
I wish I could be there to experience it myself but I shall have to make do with Chamonix in winter instead… ;)
July 29 2005 · 5:42 pm
Chris Tamplin wrote:
Ben I'm behind you every step of the way. My bank balance prevents me from owning miles (at least for the moment I'm afraid!). Just one question - being a bit of an unreasonable environmental-type, I was wondering, are you flying to the White continent? It's getting in an awful state: http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~mmcooper/classes/pollution.html
Yours is a fantastic venture - I have wondered myself when someone might recreate it. I wish you all luck in your endeavour :-)
July 30 2005 · 8:59 pm
Tony wrote:
Thanks for the support Chris. We are as concerned as anyone about pollution in Antarctica and have been consulting with a whole bunch of different environmental and government bodies during the planning and permitting stage to ensure that our impact on Antarctica is minimised, even to the extent of calculating how much bodily waste a group of people in a tent are like to produce and the most effective way of transporting it back to the real world. Essentially, we want the big white to stay that way.
July 31 2005 · 12:13 am