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Polar adventurer visits Millfield
Polar adventurer Alan Chambers visited Millfield on Monday to speak to pupils about his journey to the North Pole.
Chambers made history when he led the first successful unsupported British expedition to the Geographic North Pole in May 2000.
He walked 672 nautical miles in temperatures as low as -55°C, dragging a sledge the weight of a baby elephant.
Chambers has since led top business leaders and chief executives to the North Pole a further eight times.
During the talk, Chambers highlighted the importance of planning the journey and thinking carefully about how to decrease the weight of the sledges.
He also explained how he set smaller targets rather than focusing on the end-goal of reaching the pole.
Chambers said: "I really enjoy the planning and the research. The projects we've tried to pull off - people have said they're impossible or we've got a one per cent chance of succeeding. And I think that's what drives me.
"The main thing you need to possess to get to the North Pole is a relentless amount of passion. There is obstacle after obstacle and you have to be motivated to not give up at the first hurdle."
The adventurer took his nine-year-old son to the North Pole in 2009 and, in doing so, the pair became the youngest father and son to stand at the top of the world.
"Who would have thought a nine-year-old boy would have stood at the top of the world - but he did. And he understood what it meant to be there and learnt how to look after himself and others around him," he said.
Chambers, who received an MBE for exceptional leadership in extreme adversity, has co-authored a book and regularly delivers inspirational talks.
He has even given talks to England's 2003 rugby World Cup-winning team and England's 2005 Ashes-winning cricket team.
"I think it's important to give people an example of where a winning mindset could get them," he added.
He also encouraged pupils to make the most of their time at Millfield. "There's an incredible amount of opportunities for pupils if they choose to take them.
"What Millfield offers is a springboard to the rest of your life. That's about coming out of this school as a well-rounded, level-headed person that has the confidence to take the first step."
