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Blind Brit to make South Pole trek |
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Written by Alex
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Friday, 25 November 2011 09:09 |
Alan Lock, a 31-year-old Brit who is legally blind, is hoping to set a new world record by becoming the first visually impaired person to complete the 600-mile trek from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. The trek is to raise awareness and money for the development charity Sightsavers.
Amateur explorer Alan and his team are currently in Antarctica making final preparations, and they’ll set off on the trek any day. They estimate it will take them two months, in temperatures as low as -45C while each dragging a sled weighing 60kg harnessed to their waists.
Alan will risk frost-bite, injuries due to falls and snow storms during the trek – and all with severely limited vision. He suffers from a condition called macular degeneration, which he was diagnosed with while training for a career as an engineer and officer in the Royal Navy in 2003. In six weeks Alan’s vision deteriorated to the point where he felt he was looking at the world through frosted glass.
Joining Alan on the trek, which they have called Polar Vision, will be his two sighted team mates Andrew Jensen and Richard Smith, who all met while studying for an MBA in America. Helping the team complete the physical and mental challenge will be their guide Hannah McKean who has made the trek four times – more than anyone else in the world.
The trekkers prepared in Canada where they spent five days traversing the ice pack near the Arctic Circle on skis. Back in the UK, the team spent weekends dragging tires attached to their waists along beaches and parks to develop their muscles needed to pull the sleds, known as ‘pulks’, which will carry all their supplies including food and tents.
By completing the trek Alan hopes to raise awareness for his chosen UK charity Sightsavers. Sightsavers works in more than 30 developing countries to prevent blindness, restore sight and advocate for social rights for people who are blind or visually impaired. So far the team has raised over £13,000 but are hoping to raise much more. For more information about the trek and how to sponsor them, visit http://www.polar-vision.org.
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Last Updated on Friday, 25 November 2011 10:13 |
