To the South Pole and back — the hardest 105 days of my life- Ben Saunders

To the South Pole and back — the hardest 105 days of my life- Ben Saunders

Rating: ****

Ben Saunder's Ted Talk exemplified true human curiosity for exploring the unknown.  Not only did his record-breaking expedition test the boundaries of endurance, he also accomplished one of his life long goals.  In 2014 Ben set out to achieve what only 9 men have ever attempted.  Over 4 months he would endure one of the harshest climates on the earth in his man powered polar journey to the South Pole.  

During Ben’s journey he faced many obstacles.  Having been in the Antarctic, the sun never set.  He and his partner dragged 200 kilo bags, dragging more weight than anyone in history.  They traveled over crevices, falling more times than countable, luckily each fell no farther than to their armpits.  After days of trekking to the South Pole, they finally arrived walking/skiing a total of 35 marathons.  That was only half way, they needed to walk back which proved to be even more challenging.  After getting severe hypothermia, rationing portions, and running out of food all together, they both made it back to the edge of Antarctica. 

This Ted Talk interested me since it was primarily an expedition on skies.  Since right now we are learning how to cross country ski, I have a better understanding of how challenging it is.  We have also reviewed hypothermic procedures, and stories about people pushing their limits to accomplish new records.  This talk incorporated all of these subjects and in addition it also sparked my interest for exploring.  I found it intriguing that someone had motivated themselves to accomplish something so strenuous, yet completely life changing.  

Saunders, B. (2015). To the South Pole and back — the hardest 105 days of my life. [online] Ted.com. Available at: http://www.ted.com/talks/ben_saunders_to_the_south_pole_and_back_the_hardest_105_days_of_my_life?language=en [Accessed 10 Jan. 2015].