helen Spencer

SKIING TO THE SOUTH POLE

Reaching the South Pole has been a dream of mine since I was a child, when my inspiring parents introduced me to adventurous tales of endurance, hardship and triumph. My head buzzed with the adventures of Scott, Shackleton and Ranulph Fiennes. As soon as I turned 16, I became a Member of the Royal Geographical Society and I spent my spare time poring over maps and expedition plans in the very same rooms that my heroes did so many years before.

I will be skiing the last degree to the South Pole at the start of January 2025 in a team of 3. We will be hauling our heavy pulks behind us which will carry all of our equipment, food, fuel and tent; in temperatures of -30c and at an altitude of 2500m. The route we have chosen will take 7-10 days depending on the weather, fitness and our navigation skills!

This is hugely exciting to be treading in the footsteps of my polar heroes, but also incredibly daunting, and I have already been training in polar skills and fitness for 3 years in preparation!

❄️🧊🇦🇶🎿⛺️❄️🧊🇦🇶🎿⛺️❄️🧊🇦🇶🎿⛺️

On a more personal note, as many of you will already know, on 18th August 2023, I lost both my parents in a tragic accident.

My world collapsed and I was quite honestly completely lost.

When I eventually started to slowly pick myself back up, my expedition training helped me enormously and I will be dedicating this challenge of a lifetime to their memory. It links me to them and I feel closer to them when I’m working towards my dream. They have always been my biggest advocates and supported my dreams wholeheartedly.

This expedition has given me the purpose that I needed in my very lowest times and I am absolutely determined to smash it.

I have chosen to raise funds for the incredible Parkinson’s UK Charity while training and taking part in this expedition, after this disease tightened it’s grip on my beloved mum (Anne Spencer) over the past few years, and I saw first hand it’s affect on her.

Parkinson’s is a horrendous, cruel disease that destroys the brain and robs people of their sense, security and lives. There is currently no cure. Parkinson’s UK provides crucial support to people living with this disease and to their families. They are at the forefront of research and are making major breakthroughs to develop treatment options.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my page here on the Parkinson's UK site - although my main fundraising page is on JustGiving:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/helen-spencer-1728903029666?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Every pound and penny raised on either of these pages will spur me on with my training and to ultimately reach the South Pole!

THANK YOU!