Jonny Huntington, from Devon, England, has made history as the first person with disability to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole.
Huntington, 37, completed the 911km journey across Antarctica in 45 days, 14 hours and 15 minutes, overcoming physical challenges from limited mobility on his left side due to a stroke he suffered in 2014.
Having set off from Fuchs-Messner on the edge of the Antarctic landmass on 21 November 2024, Jonny arrived at the South Pole on 6 January 2025. His achievement places him among just 52 people who have successfully completed an unsupported solo expedition to the South Pole.
“I’m exhausted but so proud to make it to the pole and complete an expedition that many thought impossible,” Huntington said from the South Pole.
“It has pushed me to my limits – both mentally and physically – but there was no way I was going to give up. I just needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
Huntington’s journey was fraught with extreme challenges. Skiing for an average of 11 hours a day, he hauled a 90kg sled containing all his food and survival equipment through temperatures as low as -40C, with unrelenting 24-hour sunlight, and treacherous terrain, including soft snow and massive ice formations known as sastrugi.
“This year has been particularly tough for expeditions in Antarctica,” he said, noting that other attempts were abandoned due to harsh conditions. “There were days when I had to stop earlier than planned because of dangerous conditions or sheer exhaustion. By the end, I had just 24 hours of rations left.”
Huntington’s achievement is even more remarkable given his physical limitations. A stroke at the age of 28 left him with paralysis on his left side. Years of rehabilitation helped him regain some mobility, but he lives with significant brain injury that affects his strength and coordination.
“This was a massive undertaking for an able-bodied person,” Huntington said. “Add my restricted movements and neuro fatigue from brain injury, and it took the challenge to a whole new level
“My disability means I have little control in my left ankle, meaning that my leg kind of freely rotates. I fell a lot over the course of my journey, especially at the start of the expedition while I was getting acclimatised to the conditions, but just had to get back up, dust myself off, and carry on.
“Despite the challenges I faced on the ice, my hope is that by completing the expedition, I have shown that disability does not mean inability.”
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