Antarctic challenge for one Kiwi woman
11 Feb 2009
With selection of a New Zealand woman to ski to the South Pole in next year’s Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic expedition in the final stages, two Kiwi hopefuls are enduring arduous training in sweltering heat to prepare for life on the ice.
New Zealand’s finalists Charmaine Tate and Melanie Money, were selected from 200 candidates who applied for the Antarctic expedition which will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth.
Women’s expedition
Representing five continents, six faiths and seven languages, the team from eight Commonwealth countries - Cyprus, Ghana, India, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand, Jamaica, UK - will brave blizzards, crevasses and -30C temperatures to ski 800 kilometres across Antarctica to the geographic South Pole.
While the New Zealand participant will become the first Kiwi woman to ski to the South Pole, those from Brunei, Cyprus, Ghana and Jamaica will be the first person from their nation.
Tate, a doctor, and Money, a nurse, will travel to Norway next week for the final training and selection. Only one woman from each country can join the team, and the decision will be made by the end of the week.
Pulling sleds
Tate and Money have been training by dragging old car tyres - representative of pulling sleds - around Wellington’s melting summer streets.
On Tuesday (10.02.09) they dragged their tyres 25km around the city waterfront - the distance they will cover in a day on the ice - and members of the public were invited to join in to experience what team members will daily endure during the 30 - 40 day journey.
The women will sleep in tents on the ice in below -30C temperatures and pull 80kg sledges of supplies as they battle through vicious snowstorms while trying to avoid the crevasses hidden beneath the snow.
Antarctic awareness
The Wellington tyre pull was designed to raise awareness for the expedition and to highlight the plight of the Antarctic environment which is threatened by climate change and human behaviour.
Tate and Money used recycled tyres from the Wellington city landfill and devised harnesses out of recycled ropes and seatbelts from car wreckers.
"Everything we’re using is completely recycled and will focus on encouraging people to participate in outdoor activities and to consider the long term effects of climate change. This expedition isn’t just about making history for New Zealand, it’s about inspiring everyday people to take action, whether it’s for a personal, environmental or national cause," said Money.
Training camp
The 16 expedition hopefuls will spend two weeks at the training camp in Hardangervidda, Norway, where the snow-covered plateau with below -20C temperatures and icy Antarctic-like blizzards will be a perfect training ground.
Background: The Antarctic journey
During December 2009, two teams of four women will travel 500 miles from the coast of Antarctica, aiming to arrive at the South Pole around New Year’s Day 2010.
Along the way, the teams will experience a wilderness that few have had the privilege to see - endless white horizons of ancient snow and ice, big skies where the sun never sets, distant shimmering mountains untouched by man and an unimaginable complete silence.
Common understanding
Skiing to the South Pole has become a journey that symbolises personal endeavour and achievement. By creating a team from such diverse Commonwealth countries and cultures, it’s hoped the expedition will demonstrate the potential of greater inter-cultural understanding and exchange.
While only eight women - from a group of nations that represents globally more than 2 billion people - are physically making the journey, it's expected that many thousands will join the teams in spirit. Supporters will be able to follow progress through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook and the expedition website.
Role models
The women taking part will act as role models on their return, undertaking a programme of lectures and school talks to inspire others in their home-countries to strive to make their ambitions a reality.
The programme will also emphasise the relevance of Antarctica and the importance of its preservation, helping to spread the message that climate change is a global problem, affecting all regions of the world.
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