Shackleton

World renowned explorer, writer and photographer, Levison Wood FRGS Chancellor of Staffordshire University is the first member of the Shackleton Pioneer Programme. His expeditions including walking the length of the river Nile, the Himalayas, all of central America, circumnavigating the Arabian Peninsula, eleven best-selling books and several critically acclaimed documentaries embody Shackleton’s mission to empower people to Live Courageously. Discover the full interview with Levison: https://lnkd.in/ey2633gT 🎥: Amelia Steele 📷: Martin Hartley #Shackleton #LiveCourageously

When we founded Shackleton, our mission was clear: to inspire individuals to Live Courageously. To us, courage isn’t just about braving the extremes; it’s about stepping into the unknown, challenging limits, and embracing a life of resilience, purpose, and discovery. It was from this vision that the Shackleton Pioneer Programme was born. The Pioneers are the embodiment of what it means to be bold and relentless in the pursuit of progress. They are trailblazers - individuals who push the boundaries of human potential, not just in the remote corners of the world but in how they inspire and lead others. Whether it’s traversing uncharted territory, making groundbreaking contributions to science, or elevating the art of storytelling through breathtaking exploration, our Pioneers remind us of the unyielding spirit of Sir Ernest Shackleton himself. Each member of this handpicked group represents a commitment to integrity, courage, and humility. Louis Rudd MBE, FRGS, MSc traverses of the frozen expanse of Antarctica prove that human determination knows no bounds. Levison Wood FRGS Chancellor of Staffordshire University has walked the Nile, the Himalayas, and the Arabian Peninsula, weaving stories of connection across cultures. Martin Hartley’s photography captures the fragility of Earth’s most vulnerable environments, leaving a legacy for future generations to protect. These individuals don’t just conquer challenges - they inspire others to face their own. Whether they are tackling extreme environments or overcoming everyday obstacles, they represent the potential within each of us to rise above adversity. But this is just the beginning. As we grow, we’ll continue to shine a spotlight on extraordinary individuals from diverse fields who exemplify this pioneering spirit in all its forms. Through their stories, we hope to ignite a spark in everyone who hears them - a reminder that courage is not the absence of fear but the determination to push through it. To Live Courageously is a choice. One we can all make daily. These modern pioneers serve as an inspiring reminder of what can be achieved by doing so. Onwards! Ian Holdcroft Co-Founder, Shackleton Read the interviews and watch the films by Amelia Steele and Staten Cousins-Roe here: https://lnkd.in/evWcHSDk

Last night we welcomed polar explorer and conservationist Pen Hadow to speak at our flagship store 214 Piccadilly. There are plenty of people who make vast claims about their polar accomplishments and due to his humility, the significance of Pen’s contributions has flown somewhat under the radar. He is the only person to have trekked solo, and without resupply by third parties, from Canada to the Geographic North Pole. He is the first Briton to have trekked, without resupply by third parties, to both the North and South Geographic Poles from the respective continental coastlines of North America and Antarctica. AND he led the Catlin Arctic Survey which investigated sea ice volume, ocean acidification and ocean circulation. Those are just a few in his long list of achievements. Safe to say, Pen is an incredible individual who has done something that has never nor will ever be repeated.. For all that and more, including his campaign to create a Marine Protected Area around the Central Arctic Ocean with the 90 North Foundation, Pen was awarded the Shackleton Medal for the Protection of the Polar Regions in 2023. It was an honour to host him, here are just a few highlights from the evening: “You’ve got to be on fire in your head. Just being positive is not going to be enough, because the stuff you’re gonna have to deal with in your head, that’s not that’s not going to get you through. You have got to be hell bent, to get through some of the pressures that you deal with and I was.” “I’ve never hit a polar bear with a bullet. I have hit it with a saucepan. Don’t get any closer than that, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s seriously, seriously frightening. They’re very big. They’re the largest, carnivores on the surface of the planet.” “I also want to plant a flag here that I organised the first all-women expedition to the North Pole. It was led by two Canadian women guides, and there were 20 British women. That was in 1997. I really was passionate that it’s ridiculous, that it’s just hairy blokes going up there, coming back looking butchered. I just thought we need to get away from this.” 📷: Martin Hartley Amelia Steele #Shackleton #LiveCourageously

Cat Burford first came into contact with Shackleton on our Finse Polar Skills Challenge. Now, after years of training, support and friendship with our guides Wendy Searle and Louis Rudd MBE, FRGS, MSc, she has just arrived in Antarctica, about to embark on her solo, unsupported, unassisted ski expedition to the South Pole. A Shackleton Finse Expedition Challenge, Greenland ice sheet crossing and countless hours of tire hauling around Cornwall behind her, she set to become the 13th woman to complete this journey solo. All that, on the 30th anniversary of the 1st woman, Liv Arnesen to have ever skied solo to the pole. Ahead of her departure, Cat sat down to speak to Shackleton’s Amelia Steele. Topics covered were far reaching - from balancing her training with her demanding career as an NHS dentist to the need for more female-centric data in endurance and ultra sport. Read on here: https://lnkd.in/e9URY4x7

Karen Malena Kyllesø, 21, is setting out to make history by becoming the youngest person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole, a record she hopes to break by an impressive six years. This extraordinary goal stems from her deep-rooted passion for exploration, adventure, and personal growth. Shackleton’s Amelia Steele sat down to interview her ahead of her departure to Antarctica where she's just touched down. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/edx5BbS3

The team that discovered Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last ship Quest in the Labrador Sea on June 12, 2024 has been honoured with a special medal by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Team members from Norway, the United States, the U.K. and Canada gathered for the first time in Ottawa since the historic discovery last June. The Quest Medal was struck especially for this occasion, marking only the second time in RCGS history that a special medal has been created. Quest medallists include David L. Mearns, the Expedition Search Director, Capt. Levi Nippard, captain of the search vessel Leeway Odyssey, Antoine Normandin, CGeog, FRCGS, Expedition Director of Research, Geir O. Kløver, Director of The Fram Museum in Norway, Martin Brooks Brooks Co-Founder and CEO of Shackleton Adventures and Apparel, and Jill Heinerth, FRCGS D. Lit., h.c., RCGS Explorer-in-Residence. Click the link below to read the full announcement! https://lnkd.in/gctEuc-f Photo: Ben Powless

Last week, we hosted Robert Swan OBE FRGS, our flagship store, 214 Piccadilly in London - and the store was packed with people eager to hear his message! Polar royalty Robert Swan, is the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles and a tireless advocate for the preservation of Antarctica. His talk was one of our most attended events ever and filled with candid, powerful, and passionate insights into his explorations and the importance of protecting Antarctica and our planet. As Rob said, "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it." With leadership lessons drawn from polar greats including Ernest Shackleton, and his own experiences, Rob shared how he continues his lifelong mission to educate and inspire. We were also joined by Jenny Cooke, a previous nominee for the Shackleton Medal, who introduced the fantastic work of 2041 Schools. Huge thanks to Rob and Jenny for such an inspiring evening and to everyone in attendance. 📷: Amelia Steele

Shackleton team members were delighted to be invited to the film premiere of ENDURANCE at the British Film Institute (BFI), Royal Festival Hall in London this weekend and to take part in the various events surrounding it.   The mission to locate the sunken Endurance was global front-page news in 2022 and the Shackleton legend has once again surfaced into the public conversation around the world. A triumph of technology and creativity, the film recounts two expeditions over a century apart - each beset with tribulations, each ultimately attaining a positive outcome. The original Endurance expedition is brought alive through Frank Hurley's imagery, beautifully re-coloured to make it seem we’re watching the events as they occur.    Equally striking is how the crew’s diary entries are audibly remastered from clips of voice recordings. It is at once uncanny and incredibly moving to hear Sir Ernest’s cultured tones recount the moment when he accepted the ship was lost. As for the more recent expedition, both Director of Exploration, Mensun Bound and historian Dan Snow were fully equipped by Shackleton with expedition-grade apparel, and are seen sporting our nine-pointed star emblem throughout the footage of the search. As always with Shackleton, it’s much more than an extraordinary cinematic achievement. What comes across most vividly is the emotional toll taken on everyone, and the palpable relief at the seemingly impossible rescue of all hands.    In conversation on the BBC R4 Today programme Monday morning, co-director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi said that such experiences remind us that, while we may not all be able to pit ourselves against the savage might of the Antarctic, “we all have the opportunity to live with intention”. We couldn’t put it better. From Academy Award® winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin , and BAFTA® nominee Natalie Hewit, the film will be streamed by Disney+ from Nov 2nd and National Geographic channel from Nov 3rd, but we urge you to see Endurance on as large as screen as you can. National Geographic, Little Dot Studios, History Hit, Consequential, Little Monster Films, Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, Saunders Carmichael-Brown

A Legendary Moment in History Sir Ernest Shackleton's Polar Medal - one of the world’s most significant treasures from the heroic age of Antarctic exploration - has found a new home at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand. This prestigious medal, virtually unseen by the public for almost a century, represents the essence of Shackleton’s legendary spirit of exploration, resilience, and leadership. 🏅 🔍 A Rare Gem: A Polar Medal with three bars is pretty rare! Each bar represents one of Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions, including the iconic Endurance Expedition. Shackleton’s leadership through the near-impossible conditions of that mission not only saved his crew, but became a testament to the power of perseverance and hope in the face of unimaginable adversity. 📍Now on Display: The Polar Medal is now exhibited alongside an collection dedicated to the Endurance Expedition, offering visitors the opportunity to dive deep into one of the greatest survival stories in history. This is more than just a medal - it’s a connection to a moment in history where human courage overcame insurmountable odds. Let this symbol of Antarctic exploration inspire your own adventures, and may we all confront our challenges with the same unwavering grit and determination that defined Sir Ernest Shackleton. If you’re in New Zealand, don’t miss the chance to see this rare piece of history in person. #Shackleton #LiveCourageously

It was our pleasure to host Cat Burford's Expedition launch event at our Flagship Store in London's Piccadilly last week. In a matter of weeks Cat will be travelling to Antarctica to begin her solo, unsupported expedition to the South Pole, equipped in Shackleton. We would like to wish Cat the very best of luck with her ongoing preparations and expedition at large.