Fiona Thornewill
Encyclopedia
Fiona Thornewill is an English
explorer who reached the South Pole
solo and unaided in a record 42 days in 2004, walking and skiing over 700 miles in the process.
, England
, Fiona was into sports as a child, especially gymnastics, horse-racing and ice-skating. She attended Lowes Wong Junior School in nearby Southwell
before going to The Rodney School in Kirklington.
Later, Fiona worked as an administrator for the RAF
where she able to gain experience in flying and gliding. She also opened her own gymnasium, but tragedy struck when her husband, Bill, was killed in a road accident.
In 1992, Fiona met her present husband, Mike, who introduced her to outdoor sports such as mountaineering. Mike also had ambitions to cross the South Pole overland, and these plans encouraged Fiona to follow suit.
In 2001, Mike and Fiona set up an expedition to reach the North Pole
, raising money for charity in the process. Guiding them was Canadian
mountaineer and arctic
adventurer Paul Landry. They reached their destination in 56 days.
Fiona's greatest feat came in 2004 though, when she reached the South Pole on the 10th January, beating her rival Rosie Stancer
in the process. The previous record was 44 days, and the previous best for a woman was 50 days - by the Norwegian
Liv Arneson. Walking 22 miles a day, Fiona had to pull a sledge weighing 285 pounds, and her success is perhaps even more remarkable considering she lost her satellite navigation system 10 days in.
As news reached home she was congratulated by friends and family, and husband Mike was part of a party racing to meet her on Antarctica.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
explorer who reached the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
solo and unaided in a record 42 days in 2004, walking and skiing over 700 miles in the process.
Background
Born in Upton, NottinghamshireUpton, Nottinghamshire
Upton, Nottinghamshire may refer to:*Upton, Bassetlaw*Upton, Newark and Sherwood...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Fiona was into sports as a child, especially gymnastics, horse-racing and ice-skating. She attended Lowes Wong Junior School in nearby Southwell
Southwell, Nottinghamshire
Southwell is a town in Nottinghamshire, England, best known as the site of Southwell Minster, the seat of the Church of England diocese that covers Nottinghamshire...
before going to The Rodney School in Kirklington.
Later, Fiona worked as an administrator for the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
where she able to gain experience in flying and gliding. She also opened her own gymnasium, but tragedy struck when her husband, Bill, was killed in a road accident.
In 1992, Fiona met her present husband, Mike, who introduced her to outdoor sports such as mountaineering. Mike also had ambitions to cross the South Pole overland, and these plans encouraged Fiona to follow suit.
Expeditions
In 2000, Michael and Fiona became the first married couple to reach the South Pole, along with Catherine Hartley.In 2001, Mike and Fiona set up an expedition to reach the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, raising money for charity in the process. Guiding them was Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
mountaineer and arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
adventurer Paul Landry. They reached their destination in 56 days.
Fiona's greatest feat came in 2004 though, when she reached the South Pole on the 10th January, beating her rival Rosie Stancer
Rosie Stancer
Rosie Stancer née Clayton is a polar adventurer who, since 1996, has embarked on major polar expeditions of increasing severity and commitment.She attended Heathfield School, Ascot and is the great niece of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother....
in the process. The previous record was 44 days, and the previous best for a woman was 50 days - by the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Liv Arneson. Walking 22 miles a day, Fiona had to pull a sledge weighing 285 pounds, and her success is perhaps even more remarkable considering she lost her satellite navigation system 10 days in.
As news reached home she was congratulated by friends and family, and husband Mike was part of a party racing to meet her on Antarctica.
External links
- Polar Challenge - information about Fiona Thornewill's record-breaking walk to the South Pole.