A former GB paraathlete, Jonny Huntington, 38, from Kingsbridge, South Devon, aims to be the first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole. Huntington suffered a stroke in 2014 while serving as a British Army officer, leaving him paralyzed on the left side from the neck down. After a decade of rehabilitation, he is now preparing for a 911km (566-mile) trek across Antarctic tundra, expecting the expedition to take around 40 days. He’ll carry all his supplies on a sled weighing over 110 kg (242 lbs).
As he embarks on his journey from the UK, Huntington shared his excitement with PA news, saying, “No one with a disability has done this before,” and noted that he’ll be doing it without assistance or resupply, testing himself in a life-hostile environment.
Just eight weeks into his military role, the brain bleed left him with restricted mobility and permanent brain damage. His recovery journey included joining the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST), where he discovered his passion for skiing. Huntington later joined the GB Para Nordic ski team, competing internationally until 2020.
After retiring from competitive skiing, Huntington began preparing for his South Pole challenge, taking on demanding ventures like running the 630-mile South West Coast Path and a solo 20-day expedition in Sweden. For this Antarctic expedition, he’ll fly to Union Glacier for final preparations before setting off from Fuchs-Messner on the Antarctic edge, aiming to reach the South Pole alone.
Huntington shared, “I know I’ve prepared well, but Antarctica is famously tough. There aren’t disabled explorers in this field, so I’ll just have to figure out how we can make it work.”