Jonny Huntington, 38-year-old stroke survivor, has officially begun his world-first Antarctic expedition to become the first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole!
Having completed his final preparations at Union Glacier, Jonny set off from Fuchs-Messner on the edge of the Antarctic landmass on 21st November at 21:15hrs UK time. The challenge is a landmark in Antarctic exploration – no one with a disability has ever attempted a solo, unsupported expedition to the South Pole. Jonny is aiming to ski 911km across frozen Antarctic tundra climbing 3,000m on his way to the pole. Expected to take 40 days, Jonny will be battling minus 40 degree temperatures and vicious winds, all whilst pulling a 110kg sled and managing his physical limitations.
“This is a massive undertaking for an able-bodied person. Add my restricted movements, especially my lower leg, and it takes the challenge to a whole new level,” says Jonny Huntington. I’ll be skiing in 24hr daylight, which is really nice, but the winds can get up to 50 or 60mph which will be challenging, especially when I’m trying to pitch my tent alone, but I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other towards the finish line.”
“Through the expedition to the South Pole we are breaking boundaries within the disabled community and pushing the idea of human potential. For me, this expedition is about challenging myself, about pushing myself further than I’ve ever pushed my body before. I believe that going through the process of being injured, going through rehab and then having to pick life back up after that meant that, for me, there was a serious conflation of being disabled meant that I couldn’t do things. My hope is that this expedition will highlight that disability does not mean inability and no challenge is insurmountable. It’s about confidence and self-belief.”
I’m under no illusion; this is going to be tough. Just living in temperatures of minus 35 comes with its own challenges – let alone the epic journey I’ll be undertaking. The motivation that drives me to reach the Pole, and get home, is that I really want to show that no matter what life throws at you – with enough determination everyone can fulfil their own potential.
Day One
Through his expedition, Jonny will be raising money for four charities including Team Forces.
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ABOUT JONNY HUNTINGTON
Jonny joined the British Army in 2013, training at Sandhurst to become an officer. In June 2014, just eight weeks after commissioning, Jonny was in the gym when he suffered a devastating stroke. The neurological damage left Jonny paralysed down one side. After years of intense rehab, today Jonny lives with permanent brain damage resulting in a significant lack of strength, mobility and control down his left side. During his recovery Jonny became a member of the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST), which fuelled his love of cross-country skiing. This led to Jonny becoming one of the first athletes in a new GB Para Nordic ski team, where he competed from 2017 to 2020 at international level at World Cups in Lviv, Ukraine and Vuokatti, Finland, as well as the inaugural European Paralympic Committee Games in Poland in 2020.
Para classifications and his unique physical limitations eventually made it impossible to compete at the highest levels, however this experience laid the foundations for his plans to be the first disabled explorer to reach the South Pole.
To find out more about Jonny’s expedition and see his progress on an interactive map, visit jonnyhuntington.com or follow him @jonnyhuntington or on LinkedIn.