Ted Talks

TED TALKS

To the South Pole and back - the hardest 105 days of my life:

Ben Saunders

Rating: ****

Ben Saunders is a 37 year old arctic explorer who took on the challenge of travelling 1,800 miles through Antarctica in 2013. This explorer travelled from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole, then proceeded to return back to the previous coastline. The Ted Talks “To the South Pole and back - the hardest 105 days of my life” re-tells Saunders’ exciting exhibition through the arctic and highlights the changes and challenges that he went through.

Saunders’ begins by describing his route and his motivation for attempting such an exhibition. He describes the terrain and makes comparisons for the vastness of the distance that him and his partner had travelled. The explorer continues by explaining the history of Antarctica and stating how it had been discovered. 
Although I found Ben Saunders’ presentation on his journey very inspirational, the parts that I found most interesting were the struggles and challenges he overcame throughout his journey. He and his partner overcame starvation, hyperglycaemic conditions, hypothermia (on more than one occasion) and they eventually ran out of food whilst they were 46 miles away from refuelling. The perseverance through these challenges were the parts I found most impressive. I found that I understood the level of difficulty that they were trying to express as we had studied many of these conditions in class. Through the experience of winter camping and even hiking through Frontenac I have discovered a new curiosity within myself to explore the lengths to which these new skills can extend. This is one reason that Ben Saunders’ exhibition intrigues me. 

Overall, the experience that he shared with the audience conveyed a story that truly seemed to have humbled him. He spoke of the importance of self-belief and determination, however I believe that uncovering his true character was the most significant part of his journey. I am impressed and intrigued by the passion that this exhibition was fuelled with. This has inspired me to give myself a chance when extending boundaries on goals. I have learned that as long as you have self belief and determination, boundaries don’t have to hold you back. I will be motivated by the thought of uncovering an aspect of my own character that has yet to be uncovered. 

Saunders, Ben. “To the South Pole and back - the hardest 105 days of my life.” Online Video Clip. Ted Talks. Ted Talks, March 2014. Web. April 20, 2015.