AN INTREPID businessman made it to the South Pole with time to spare.
Dean Attwell is back at his desk after successfully completing an antarctic expedition which raised £30,000 for Hatton-based charity Molly Olly’s Wishes.
The 52-year-old, group chief executive of Redditch based business Oakland International, skiied and walked for up to ten hours a day at an altitude of some 3,100m across the most unforgiving landscape on the planet – the driest, coldest and windiest continent, where temperatures can plunge to -60°C at the highest parts of the interior.
Conditions for Dean’s party ranged from clear, crisp bright skies to near whiteout ground blizzard conditions with deep snowdrifts covering sleds and tents.
But there was no stopping them and following a few days acclimatising, they set off from the ice plato and reached the pole after covering 110 miles in just ten days on Sunday January 12 – two days ahead of schedule.
Dean, who trained for a year ahead of the challenge, said: “The South Pole is stunning and brutal at the same time.
“Its pure beauty and raw nature are breath-taking, whilst extremely challenging, with every step both physically and mentally demanding.
And he was quick to thank all those who had helped him achieve his South Pole goal.
“I want to thank everyone who’s helped and supported me throughout this journey. My family, friends and colleagues, the team at Forder PT gym who worked so hard to ensure my body was expedition ready, to Keith from Polar Explorers who looked after me both on and off the ice, and to everyone who has donated and supported me and Molly Olly’s Wishes, an amazing charity, which has already helped over 1,500 children across the UK.”
With Dean’s expedition completely self-funded, every penny raised will go to Molly Olly’s Wishes to support children and their families living with a terminal or life-threatening illness.
Set up by Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw following the death of their eight-year old daughter Molly in 2011, the charity has helped more than 1,500 children across the country and donated Olly the Brave therapeutic toys and books to more than 50 UK hospitals.
It is not the first time Dean has taken on an endurance challenge having climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa in 2013 and trekked to the North Pole in 2017.
But he has yet to decide on his next adventure.
“I really have no idea what my next challenge will be, I’m just enjoying the moment and plan to spend some time with my family.”
Donations can still be made via Dean’s fund-raising page by visiting https://lnkd.in/eNCwNjX. Visit www.mollyolly.co.uk for further information about Molly Olly’s Wishes.
