British Adventurers Undertake Groundbreaking South Pole Expedition

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 16 Nov 2007 - 3:00 PDT

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Two Britons are embarking on a groundbreaking expedition to reach the South Pole that has never been attempted before.

They will be part of a three-man team who will make history when they reattempt Sir Ernest Shackleton's epic expedition to the South Pole on 20 November 2007; a century after the original expedition took place.

James Fox and Richard Dunwoody MBE will join Doug Stoop, the US's equivalent of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, as the first men to take the infamous route last attempted in 1915 when Shackleton abandoned his expedition after losing his ship, Endurance. 'Beyond Shackleton' will lead the men across undiscovered terrain including the formidable Great Crevasse Field, never before crossed on foot.

Adventurer James Fox will realise a childhood dream that began at 14 when he heard Sir Robert Swann OBE speak. Fox says,

'I remember Robert Swan telling everyone he hoped his speech would inspire just one person in the room to go to the pole and reach for his dreams. I knew then that person was me.

I want to raise money for young people in an effort to inspire them to fulfil their true ambitions as Swan inspired me. This is why I will be raising money for the 'The Duke of Edinburgh's Award'.

I will also be doing the trip in memory of my grandmother who died of Alzheimer's so I will be supporting the Alzheimer's Society, by raising vital funds to help support people with dementia and their carers.'

The team will depart from edge of the Antarctic ice shelf, ascending up to 3,000m (10,000ft) onwards to the South Pole across blue ice. They hope to reach the Geographic South Pole in 60 days totally unsupported and dragging sleds weighing over one and times their body weight while facing temperature as cold as -50c (-58 Fahrenheit) and a wind chill factor from strong katabatic winds.

To find out more about the expedition's progress or to donate the charities James is supporting, go to www.beyondshackleton.com and follow the sponsorship links.

Notes:

- 1 in 3 older people will end their lives with a form of dementia

- 700,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer's disease. In less than 20 years nearly a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051. 1 in 6 people over 80 have dementia.

- The Alzheimer's Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and those who care for them. The Alzheimer's Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

- As a charity, the Alzheimer's Society depends on the generosity of the public to help it care, research and campaign for people with dementia. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/.