FIRE AND ICE Meet the all-female firefighting team set to ski across Antarctica

The Antarctic Fire Angels: Nakita Ross, Georgina Gilbert, Nikki Upton, Bex Newton, Rebecca Rowe and Alison Kibblewhite

ICE AND FIRE

Meet the local firefighters striving to become the first all-female emergency services team to ski over one thousand miles across Antarctica Words by Lisa Evans Images Back the Brave; www.amitandnaroop.com

In an effort to raise awareness of mental health issues and to help eradicate gender stereotypes, six UK firefighters want to become the first ever female emergency services team to ski a 1,900km route across Antarctica.

The team, who call themselves the Antarctic Fire Angels, is made up of Georgina Gilbert and Alison Kibblewhite, who are both local to Cardiff, as well as Rebecca Rowe, who is from Bridgend, and England-based Nakita Ross, Nikki Upton and Bex Newton, all aged between 34 and 51. They intend to use just mind and muscle power alone as they ski from coast to coast across the southern continent, which has not been completed by a female team before and will be a world record.

They estimate it will take 70 days to complete, each carrying heavy supply sleds in 60mph winds and in temperatures as low as -50. Here, Georgina, who currently serves with South Wales Fire and Rescue service, tells us why the team has chosen to travel to one of the most hostile environments on the planet and what they hope to achieve from the expedition.

Take us right back to the start, how did this all come about? The Antarctic Fire Angels was born at the Women in the Fire Service (WFS) training and development event in 2019 where keynote speaker Sophie Montange from the Army’s Ice Maiden team said, “Show women what women are capable of”. And it was this statement that inspired the idea. Team leader Nakita Ross and myself, Wales team leader, then set in motion what has become a truly inspiring adventure.

Why have you chosen one of the harshest environments in the world? It’s one of the most inhospitable places on the planet, so what better place to prove that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things?

What does your training regime look like? It must be gruelling… It’s busy that’s for sure! We have an overall conditioning regime as a base; this includes cardio, weights and circuits. We try to mix it up to keep things interesting. Training with our colleagues is great fun, and it’s great to get them involved too. Hopefully when we’re away, they can take part in their own daily challenge – we’ll be covering approximately 27km a day so we’re hoping they’ll match us and raise some charitable donations at the same time. There are also tyre drags, this will become our bread and butter, day after day of pulling to simulate the daily challenge when we’re out there. We need to be able to pull 85 to 100kg pulks, and three tyres in soft sand is the equivalent of this. We’re also having exposure days on cold, windy mountains, and learning personal admin is also essential – such as taking care of your feet; even though you may only be a couple of hours away from removing your boots, if a blister starts to form, then it must be treated right away. Having the strength to say “I need to stop” is vital, too. It’ll happen to us all at some point. Norway is our go-to for our specific training as well as Svalbard and the Greenland Icecap. Myself and Alison run ultras, which adds to endurance, but ultras aren’t essential, we do them because we enjoy them! Nakita does Brazilian Jiu-jitsu which helps with mental endurance, and Nikki and Bex love strength work, so we all bring something different to the training table.

For the challenge, what will you need to pack, and what experts have you called upon for advice? Research has been the key on this one, plus some

The team wants to prove that “ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things”

“We want to show women what women are capable of”

knowledge of outdoor kit and clothing which has helped a lot. Knowing which brands cater for this type of environment is essential. We’ve been very privileged to be supported by Helly Hansen, SunGod and Mountain Equipment so far who have been key in kit selection and advice. We also turn to our expedition manager Steve Jones at Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) who is the font of all knowledge when it comes to Antarctica. He has real life experience on expeditions and kit including what happens if kit fails or breaks. Knowing what to pack will come from two sources: firstly, from people who have been there, and secondly from our Norway training itself. We all have different requirements, from dietary to cold tolerance so each pulk will be slightly different. What will remain the same for all of us though is the importance of keeping weight to a minimum. Sawing a toothbrush in half and cutting labels out of kit can, believe it or not mean the difference between taking an extra meal.

The challenge will take an estimated 70 days to complete, could you tell us about all the little things that we do daily – like cooking and going to the bathroom – and how these things will be carried out in such harsh conditions? The little things become extremely important. Personal admin is not just a physical thing, it’s a mental thing too. Keeping a daily routine going and sticking to timings on the good days will be essential, and setting goals such as a five-minute break every hour will become the routine that will keep us from over-reaching while giving us small frequent goals to aim for. We’ll start the day with breakfast – most probably porridge with dried fruit and extra fibre – then through the day we’ll snack on the go to try and make good time. Then, once we’ve hopefully reached our daily goal, we’ll stop for supper, which will be freeze-dried food of personal choice. We need to melt ice to cook, and every ounce counts, so everything is measured carefully. We can’t replace the gas canisters

They’ll each need to be able to pull 100kg pulks through the snow for 70 days, so weights, cardio and circuits are essential training

once we run out. Then there’s the personal treats – from Turkish Delight to Twiglets and pork pies; each member of the team will have a calculated number of treats to look forward to. As for toileting, well it’s simple, we dig a hole for the solids, and at ‘night’ (it’s 24hr daylight at that time of year) it’s peeing into a bottle. There is an invisible 20km perimeter around the pole which is a specially protected area to protect against human development, damage and pollution, so when we enter this, we have to take everything with us [yes, everything], but, at these temperatures, it freezes almost straight away so it’s not as terrible as it sounds.

You want to help eliminate gender stereotypes with this journey, can you tell us more… We aim to eradicate the gender stereotypes that can stop women from entering male-dominated industries. We want to support women and girls to have a career in whatever they choose. Roles should not be defined by gender; all roles should be gender neutral. There are women out there who think ‘Oh I couldn’t do that’. My response to that is ‘Have you tried?’ If the answer is no, then how do you know you can’t? Be the person that you needed when you were growing up.

What sorts of comments (negative or positive) have you had over the years as female firefighters? Positive comments include: You’re an inspiration; Wow I wish I could be as strong as you; How do I get my daughter to see that she can do any job she puts her mind to?; How do I become a visible role model just like you? And some of the negative comments have been:

The group wants to help eliminate gender stereotypes with this journey

“It’s one of the most inhospitable places on the planet”

You’re lucky you’re here; We didn’t want a woman; Go check she’s done that properly; You go out on the fire engine?; You drive a fire engine?; You need to put some meat on; Your uniform’s looking a bit tight; You’re not strong enough; You’re strong for a girl; I want to speak to the officer in charge, not you, the real officer; Are you allowed to do the same as the men?; You’re too aggressive; It’s not a job for a lady.

Aside from actually completing the challenge, your other aim is to showcase that ‘ordinary women can do extraordinary things’, why is that an important message for you to spread? It’s important to us that we leave a legacy. It’s not just about one expedition, or ‘our’ expedition, it’s about everyone who’s ever wanted to find their extraordinary. No matter what it is you’re aiming for or aspire to, you can do it, and we can help you get there. That’s why we set up our Community Interest Company (CIC) called Ordinary Extraordinary – a platform for anyone looking to be inspired or find someone who’s looking for a team mate to achieve a common goal.

What females empower and inspire you? Emma Watson, Virginia Woolf, Vita Sackville-West, Rosa Parks, Michelle Obama, Wonder Woman. n

The Antarctic Fire Angels will ski coast-to-coast across Antarctica in November 2023 and need to raise £500,000 to support them with training, equipment, nutrition, technology and specialist technical support. To find out more and to donate, visit www.antarcticfireangels.co.uk / www.ordinaryextraordinary.co.uk

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