A new episode of The Resilient is available.
British explorer Ben Saunders has broken more records in extreme conditions than most people “sitting on their sofas eating crap” could ever imagine. He’s led more than 11 expeditions across the tundras, both solo and as part of a team. And in 2014, Ben and his explorer teammate Tarka L’Herpiniere, completed the expedition that defeated both Edward Shackleton and Capt. Robert Falcon Scott: 1801 miles from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back. On foot.
Naturally, they faced extraordinary challenges on the way: adverse weather, hypothermia and near-starvation. Unsurprisingly, Ben experienced almost transcendent moments of self-realisation.
But he has since discovered that the ultimate expedition of his life wasn’t to break this record, but to come to terms with the inner and outer silence he’s experienced upon his return.
What happens when you achieve the ultimate goal, but the world continues around you as if nothing’s happened? That’s the story in this episode of The Resilient.
The Resilient is a podcast about powerful people, like you and me. It’s an eavesdrop session on their toughest times, and what they’ve done since then. It’s about life transitions, difficult decisions and unexpected twists and turns. Because life happens. It’s brought to you by FlowerApp.com and is produced and presented by Dr Aleks Krotoski and Pillowfort Productions. It is mixed by Katie McMurran.
Click here to read more about Ben Saunders’ expedition, and here to listen to his TED talk.
About Ben Saunders:
Ben Saunders is one of the world’s leading polar explorers, and a long-distance skier who has covered more than 6,000km (3,700 miles) on foot in the Polar Regions since 2001. His accomplishments include leading the 108-day, 1,800-mile Scott Expedition, the longest human-powered polar journey in history, and the first completion of the expedition that defeated Captain Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton. Ben is the third person in history to ski solo to the North Pole, and holds the record for the longest solo Arctic journey by a Briton. He is also a founding editor of Avaunt Magazine, a global brand ambassador for Land Rover, an honorary member of the Cordon Rouge Club, an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, a patron of British Exploring, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and an acclaimed speaker, described by TED (where he has spoken three times) as ‘A master storyteller‘.