As our British readership may already know, this past Sunday marked the completion of Helen Skelton's 500-mile journey to the South Pole. But this wasn't just a run-of-the-mill visit to the bottom of the world: Skelton made the record- (and precendent-) setting trip for BBC's Sport Relief 2012 fundraising initiative in 18 days, two days under her projected goal. Accompanied only by "Norwegian explorer Niklas Norman, a small BBC team and a logistics crew," the 28-year-old British television personality and adventure sports enthusiast reached the South Pole at 11:40 AM on January 22, after two and a half weeks of travel by kite ski, snow bicycle and cross-country ski.
Skelton is best known the host of Blue Peter, (the world's longest children's television show, according to Wikipedia), though lately she's been garnering recognition for more extreme exploits: she's been known to run ultramarathons (she completed a 78-miler just under the 24-hour limit) and she kayaked the 2,000-mile length of the Amazon for Sport Relief 2010. The latter effort yielded two world records: longest solo journey by kayak and the longest distance in 24 hours by a woman.
Skelton's latest superlative feat is a record for the fastest 100km by kite ski (regardless of gender): seven hours and 28 minutes. In fact, she completed the majority of the journey in tow of the fierce Antarctic winds, which average 80 mph, covering a total of 329 miles over the course of 8 days' time on kite ski, with another 68 miles (3 days) by cross-country ski.
Still, perhaps the most notable accomplishment is the 103 miles (7 days) on a custom snow bicycle, a first for any Polar adventurer.
Between the physical challenge, the freezing temperatures (which dropped to as low as -48°C), a 180lb supply sledge, Skelton's achievement should certainly inspire UK residents to enter the Sport Relief Mile charity run in March.
See her cross the finish line on the bike (plus details on that too) after the jump...
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