Stroke survivor begins gruelling expedition to become the first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole

38-year-old stroke survivor Jonny Huntington has officially begun his world-first Antarctic expedition to become the first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole.

Having completed his final preparations at Union Glacier, Jonny set off from Fuchs-Messner on the edge of the Antarctic landmass on 21st November at 21:15hrs UK time.

The challenge is a landmark in Antarctic exploration – no one with a disability has ever attempted a solo, unsupported expedition to the South Pole.

At just 28 years old, a stroke in 2014 left Jonny with complete left-side paralysis. After years of intense rehab, today Jonny lives with permanent brain damage resulting in a significant lack of strength, mobility and control down his left side. 

Having been preparing for the last 10 years, Jonny will ski 911km across frozen Antarctic tundra climbing 3,000m on his way to the pole.

Expected to take him 40 days, Jonny will be battling minus 40 degree temperatures and vicious winds, all whilst pulling a 110kg sled and managing his physical limitations.

“This is a massive undertaking for an able-bodied person. Add my restricted movements, especially my lower leg, and it takes the challenge to a whole new level,” says Jonny Huntington.

“I’ll be skiing in 24hr daylight, which is really nice, but the winds can get up to 50 or 60mph which will be challenging, especially when I’m trying to pitch my tent alone, but I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other towards the finish line.”

Jonny joined the army in 2013, training at Sandhurst to become an officer. In June 2014, just eight weeks after commissioning into the British Army, Jonny was in the gym when he suffered a devastating stroke.

The neurological damage left Jonny paralysed down one side.

It took years of rehab before Jonny was able to fully walk again, and even then, he was left with significantly restricted movement down his left side.

During his recovery Jonny became a member of the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST), which fuelled his love of cross-country skiing.

This led to Jonny becoming one of the first athletes in a new GB Para Nordic ski team, where he competed from 2017 to 2020 at international level at World Cups in Lviv, Ukraine and Vuokatti,

Finland, as well as the inaugural European Paralympic Committee Games in Poland in 2020.

Para classifications and his unique physical limitations eventually made it impossible to compete at the highest levels, however this experience laid the foundations for his plans to be the first disabled explorer to reach the South Pole.

“Through the expedition to the South Pole we are breaking boundaries within the disabled community and pushing the idea of human potential,” said Jonny.

“For me, this expedition is about challenging myself, about pushing myself further than I've ever pushed my body before.

“I believe that going through the process of being injured, going through rehab and then having to pick life back up after that meant that, for me, there was a serious conflation of being disabled meant that I couldn’t do things.

“My hope is that this expedition will highlight that disability does not mean inability and no challenge is insurmountable. It’s about confidence and self-belief.”

Jonny’s expedition is expected to take approximately 40 days on the ice.

Jonny adds; “I’m under no illusion; this is going to be tough. Just living in temperatures of minus 35 comes with its own challenges – let alone the epic journey I’ll be undertaking.

“The motivation that drives me to reach the Pole, and get home, is that I really want to show that no matter what life throws at you – with enough determination everyone can fulfil their own potential.”

Through his expedition, Jonny will be raising money for four charities including the Invictus Games Foundation, Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team, Team Forces and The Adaptive Grand Slam Foundation. To donate, visit https://givestar.io/gs/south-pole-solo-expedition

Jonny was born in Cambridge, where he lived until he went to university at 18-years-old, and subsequently joined the military. He now lives in Kingsbridge, Devon.

To find out more about Jonny’s expedition, visitwww.jonnyhuntington.com see @jonnyhuntington on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Jonny would like to thank the many people who have helped him to take on this challenge including his partners Specialist Risk Group, Team Forces, Collins Aerospace, ACRE Capital Real Estate, and Continuate.

Maj Gen Lamont Kirkland CBE, CEO Team Forces, added; “Team Forces is incredibly proud to support Jonny Huntingdon on his landmark Antarctic expedition to become the first disabled person to ski to the South Pole solo and unsupported.

“This challenge is more than just an adventure, it’s a powerful message that anything is possible with the right training and mindset.”

He’d also like to thanks his technical partners Dynafit, Doxa Watches, JADAT Adventures, Salewa and SunGod Eyewear; and supporters Veeam, Dell, Pointwire, Comtech, Tila Capital, NSSLGlobal, Branding Science, Lidstones, and &SONS.

Photo credit: Jonny Huntington.