Where Ice Meets Ambition

Set right next to the historic RRS Discovery, a ship synonymous with the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, this special evening brings together three remarkable women whose journeys exemplify the enduring spirit of exploration. An inspiring evening of conversation, discovery and extraordinary stories from the ends of the Earth.

Karen Kyllesø, the youngest woman to ski unsupported to the South Pole, will reflect on the preparation, resilience and determination required to achieve one of the world’s most demanding polar expeditions.

Denise Martin, one of the world’s most accomplished polar explorers, has skied to both the North and South Poles and spent decades leading expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. Drawing on a lifetime of experience, Denise will talk about the changing face of modern Polar exploration and share insights into leadership, endurance and exploration in the planet’s most extreme environments.

Representing the next generation of explorers, Isla Burston is a graduate of The Polar Academy whose transformative journey through expeditioning has led her to pursue her own ambition of skiing to the South Pole. Her story is a compelling testament to the power of adventure to change lives

The Polar Academy

We work with “invisible” kids. They are the shy or awkward ones that struggle with their confidence or may simply be struggling to fit in. They may be victims of bullying, have anxiety, depression or have suffered bereavement.

We want to stop the downward spiral of negativity many kids are now on, help positively empower young people now and into the future, teach them to take control of their own lives and their future and help them find the voice they never knew they had.