WIREDGOV

A 32-year-old consultant living in Borough, London, will race 600km to the North Pole from Canada on March 31st in the first stage of a bid to complete two of the world’s toughest challenges for charity. His ‘Fire and Ice Challenge’ will culminate in a 260km ultra marathon in the Sahara Desert.

Paul Gurney is attempting to be one of the only people in history to complete the two ‘toughest races on earth’ - with the added challenge that he is doing them both within a year. In addition to the challenge itself, he is also aiming to raise £50,000 for international development organisation VSO.

Paul will begin the ‘Fire and Ice Challenge’ in Resolute Bay, Nunuvat, Northern Canada. Equipped with 35 days’ worth of rations, a shotgun and 80kgs of kit, Paul will race for 12 hours a day across the frozen Arctic Ocean in temperatures that could drop to as low as -80c with wind chill. Facing the very real danger of thin ice, frostbite and polar bears, Gurney will attempt to complete his epic race to the Magnetic North Pole within 25 days.

On completing this challenge Gurney will immediately start training for the Marathon Des Sables, a six- stage event that sees competitors running up to 88km per day through the Sahara desert in temperatures that regularly exceed 50 degrees centigrade, while carrying all of their equipment and food for the race.

Paul Gurney said:

“These challenges are certainly pushing the boundaries of what people think is possible. However, you don’t have to be an elite athlete or in the Special Forces to do these things - it is really a case of being determined and being prepared to push yourself to the absolute limits.”

Mark Rowland, VSO UK Head of Fundraising, said:

“Paul has been one of VSO’s biggest supporters for many years but only a handful of people in the world have completed this feat and we are truly grateful he is attempting it for us.

“The £50,000 Paul is aiming to raise will support VSO’s climate change initiatives in Bangladesh and Nepal and help more than 2,500 people grow enough food to eat and make a living.”

VSO works in 33 of the world’s poorest countries including Ethiopia, South Sudan, Bangladesh and Rwanda. Working through volunteers, bringing people together to share skills and knowledge, in the last year (2011-12) it reached over 15 million people living in poverty through improved services in health and education and helping people find secure ways to earn a living.

To follow Paul Gurney’s progress visit www.fireandicechallenge.co.uk or donate at www.justgiving.com/thefireandicechallenge

About Paul Gurney

Paul Gurney grew up in Torquay and went to Torquay Boys Grammar School. Alongside his full time job working for the global consulting company Accenture, Gurney runs a challenge event charity which has raised over $4m for VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) a leading international development charity. Gurney’s adventure travel CV is impressive; amongst a long list of achievements, he has twice reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, climbed Mt Elbrus, reached Everest Base Camp, competed in 100km+ ultramarathons, driven from London to Mongolia in a Ford Fiesta and most recently climbed Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas (6962m), as part of his endurance and cold weather training for the north pole trek.

About VSO:

VSO is an international development organisation that fights poverty through volunteers, bringing people together to share skills and knowledge. VSO volunteers work in whatever fields are necessary to fight the forces that keep people in poverty – from education and health through to helping people learn the skills to make a living. In doing so, they invest in local people, so the impact they make endures long after their placement ends. VSO recruits skilled volunteers from countries in the global north and global south, as well as supporting the growth of volunteering within developing countries.

For more information please contact:

Susannah Henty, VSO Media team, tel. +44(0)20 8780 7621, 24 hours media response, +44(0)7500 918 478

Images of Paul in training are available on request.