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Week 4 [27 October - 2 November]: Ray Zahab - Trek to the South Pole


Ray Zahab comes from Chelsea in Canada. He’s a founder of impossible2possible.com – a group that inspire and educate youth to protect this fragile planet and its people. He spoke at Ted conference in 2009 about his trek across Antarctica which was recorded as the fastest trek in human history. 


The whole journey started in the Hercules Inlet and ended at the South Pole. Ray started it with his two friends Richard Webber and Kevin Valley. Together they broke the speed record for trek to South Pole which took them 33 days 23 hours and 55 minutes; the previous journey took 5 days more. His whole journey was solo on foot without skies. He was the first person in human history doing so. His equipment weighs 170 pounds and he need to drag it all over the journey. Because of that they ate only beacon and butter to maintain their body weight. They needed 8,500 calories per day to achieve that! 


Ray said that to be honest this journey didn’t start at Hercules Inlet but two years before in the Sahara desert during the 111 day run across the desert. There they learnt about water crisis in Northern Africa. Doing this run, he understood one important thing – he can do anything he wants when his mind is ready. He also found there a reason why he should push himself to the limits – simply to inspire others to make changes in their lives just by dreaming about something else. 


This story is a good reminder why human beings should explore unknown areas and push their comfort zone further. Sometimes we need to sacrifice little things in our life’s to get bigger ones in future – not so many of us are capable to do such things. However, if we can accomplish that we can fulfill our dreams and inspire others, like Ray just by putting our fears away.  


Sources:
http://www.ted.com/talks/ray_zahab_treks_to_the_south_pole [images]

Comments

Kamil Fijałkowski said…
People never cease to amaze me. When I'm hearing and reading about these stories, I feel that my life is so normal and boring. I admire people who have so much determination and strength to fulfill his own dreams. Recently, I read about commercial tours to Antarctica with cost about 10000$ but I think that this is not the same as real extreme expedition.
30 October 2014 at 10:21
Robert Kilar s8359 said…
I didn't get the last paragraph. What was the little thing he sacrificed and what was the big thing he gained? Either way, good job.

There is a channel on YouTube called United Cyclists: http://www.youtube.com/user/unitedcyclists/videos Guys travel through Himalaya, Sahara and other extreme places on bikes. Furthermore, if you have something to offer them as a teamate, you may join them.
30 October 2014 at 14:28
Unknown said…
Sometimes I don't get a reason to do things like this :) Yeah, it is interesting and striking, but why is he doing it?
Is it his desire to try something new? Or is it just passion? What do you think?
30 October 2014 at 15:52
Unknown said…
Wow... great and impressive passion and target. Some time ago it was unbelievable for me why people decides to do that. Cold, effort, expensive and requiring fight with extremal conditions... does anyone agree with me?

But... I know someone who loves to climb on the mountains and conquered some extremal peaks over the World (for example Kilimanjaro in Africa, Aconcagua in Argentina or Mont Blanc in Europe...) and tell me something about that. I didn't enjoy paying for this kind of effort, then after conversation now I know what she feels about "fight with your own, realize how strong you can be".

Really, really impressive and unusual passion and character. Maybe I should wrote article about her...
30 October 2014 at 17:24
Unknown said…
I tried to describe that below in my comment. Generally to make something unusual, fight with extremal conditions and prove yourself how strong you can be :)
strong passion and love to discovering something special, something what not anyone cant see.
30 October 2014 at 17:30
Unknown said…
Its a question about reason for doing such things. Nowadays it's no longer a problem, to climb Kilimanjaro, as long as you have money. In comparison to what it was back in the 50s, it's not even a problem to climb Mount Everest, as long as you make it your aim. These days, people need much more challenging aims, to fulfill their ambition, and that's what I think is measure of human development ?

Look at this infographic. It shows all human and nature limits, maybe it will inspire someone to break another record.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141027-the-ultimate-limits-infographic
30 October 2014 at 18:55
Phuong Vo Viet aka Funt said…
I completely agree with you Natalia. I don't understand either why is it so great to do such things nowadays. I always admired more the inventors or scientists who used their skills and knowledge to change the world. I am talking about actually changing the world, not just inspire someone to do more impractical things.
31 October 2014 at 22:24
Phuong Vo Viet aka Funt said…
It's very interesting infographic but I am afraid that some of these limits are just unbreakable. Simply based on physics.
31 October 2014 at 22:27
Unknown said…
Rafał, thats a really good insight :) I absolutely can understand it, when it comes from the passion :) When people love to do things like this, when they are happy when they see, that they can achieve what they wanted to - this is the best prize for them.
But I would never force myself to do similar journey :D I would be more tired than happy ^^
1 November 2014 at 15:09
Unknown said…
I think story of Ray Zahab is really inspiring. He reminds us that we have ability to make impossible things possible, if only we have goals, determination and dedication. His story show us how important part of our lives is passion. Nowadays, many people focus on work , following the routine without thinking whether it is meaningful or not. It is easy to lose our passion, put down realization of our dreams to distant future. Ray Zahab shows us with determination we can achieve anything we want.
1 November 2014 at 20:27
Unknown said…
This story is a real example of people's capabilities and it's really inspiring!
I believe that people can anything they want. It's not just about this journey, it's about passion, goals and aspiration that help people achieve their goals and dreams, e.g. own business, such trips and so on.

This article reminded me a movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
http://youtu.be/HddkucqSzSM
1 November 2014 at 21:47
rf. said…
Wow, this image is really great! :)
1 November 2014 at 22:46
MartaSB said…
I really support the idea of raising the awareness of the current state of our planet. On the other hand I'm not fond of actions that are pretty dangerous for your life and not really necessary. The thing is... some people think that they can trek to the South Pole, climb Mount Everest of run through a desert? Fine. But when there is an accident, the whole rescue crew will be mobilized, helicopters called etc. And what for? To save someone who has a death wish and maybe in a year will go to some other extremely dangerous place just to check whether he will be able to survive that. No thanks.
1 November 2014 at 23:05
Sylwia said…
Some of you mentioned that nowadays such achievements are not so impressive, because everyone can do it if he/she pays enough. However I’m pretty sure that even commercial tours are unique and extreme adventures. Of course maybe it’s not the same, but it gives regular people a glimpse of such trip. I do not see anything wrong about it. It opens our mind and widens our horizons. To me even commercial tour would be a great achievement and I would be proud of it. It’s not easy to reach such goals even if you have professional equipment and people to help you.
1 November 2014 at 23:39
Seisyll said…
People never cease to amaze me, be it idiocy or amazing achievements. I think every one wants to be the first in something. Well, sometimes people like to take things to the extreme. Like Felix Baumgartner two years ago. A man who jumped from space. Who would have think of that? Maybe Alan Eustace, the new world champion :p

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29766189
2 November 2014 at 16:36
Julia Osiak said…
I admire his willpower and the achievement, however this story doesn't really inspire me that much. Yes, he broke the speed record. Yes, he completed a dangerous and "almost impossible" journey. However, to me this is not a good form of raising awareness about anything because people focus only on his achievements and adventures and miss the message behind it.
2 November 2014 at 16:51
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
2 November 2014 at 17:51
Unknown said…
I admire people like this one mentioned above. We should all push ourselfs to the limits of our body to explore unknown. Discovery channel shows similar expeditions on a daily basis. I appreciate people bravery , that they are passionate about doing something diffrent then we all do, I mean discovering , traveling around our globe to meet places where human being foot has never been to.
2 November 2014 at 17:53
Marcin Lyzwa said…
I have to agree with Julia. Nobody will remember the reason of this expedition. People will or even will not remember that he with friends broke the speed record for trek to South Pole. Raising awareness about anything should be done by social compagnies, of course events like this one could by treated as an accompanying event. Personally I admire people who move their capabilities so extremely far.
2 November 2014 at 19:49
Mateusz Frycie said…
For many people, simply having a job with a steady income isn’t enough to fulfill them. Some of them wants to make an impact on people and immerse yourself in different cultures.
I always wanted to join some kind of traveling & helping people program.
For example The Peace Corps look at what you studied in college, what you have volunteered in, any languages you may have some experience with. International workers may help short-term travelers, like businesspeople, or long-term clients who intend to relocate to a foreign country.
2 November 2014 at 22:20
Unknown said…
Stories like this are amazing. I admire peaople who do thing like this.
This text remind me other story. Story of Tomasz Kowalski and his expedition for Broad Peak. This story hadn’t got a happy end. Unfortunatelly Tomasz Kowalski didn’t return of expedition. It was last expedition in his life. Two othetr himalaists found his dead body.
It was terrible because everybody who climbed there must pass along his dead body.
Family of himalaist solicited Karim Hayat to move and cover his body. It saved its.
It is amazing story, which everyone should know.
2 November 2014 at 22:22
Unknown said…
I don't find it inspiring because it's just hard to imagine for someone who have never done anything similar to arctic trekking. But it is probably amazing achievement as it is a world record.
2 November 2014 at 22:35
Sergio Cosentino said…
Humans are fantastic beings in many aspects and one of those aspects is their capability to dream. Dreams are what pushed humanity forward, from the most simple ones to the biggest. Humans are capable of having ambitions and that allowed us to get were we are today.
This story is amazing and I think that everybody should set goals for themselves. It doesn’t matter if the goal is small and simple or great and extraordinary – life is about setting goals and reaching them.
3 November 2014 at 11:33
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