Seven women from around the commonwealth are one step closer to their goal of skiing to the South Pole following a grueling selection process in Norway. The initial selection was done through an on-line process

After enduring temperatures of minus 17 degrees C and towing sledges full of logs the seven from Brunei, Cyprus, Ghana, India, Jamaica, New Zealand and Singapore have been chosen to from the common wealth women’s Antarctic Expedition.

The Ghanaian is Barbara Ewurefua Yanney a 29 year old freelance writer who became the youngest magazine editor in Ghana in 1990. She was educated in Aburi Girls Secondary School and completed her education at Essex County College in New Jersey USA.

Having returned to settle in Ghana and currently living in Accra, Barbara has written for various publications including radio and TV reviews, Today’s Parent Magazine and the British Council Ghana website. Barbara is best known for her sense of adventure and incredible ability to acclimatize to different cultures, atmospheres and situations.

Born in Zambia, Barbara moved to Ghana with her family at the age of 10 and found herself in whirlwind of rich traditions and beaming hospitality and jumped in head first, ready to absorb all that the country had to offer. She says, ‘’The happiest person in the world is one who has found their true purpose”. I like to think I’m on the path to finding my true happiness.

“My mental and physical abilities have been pushed far beyond anything I could ever imagine in the past week and yet I’m eager to see more, do more… I’m humbled at the chance to represent my country in this way. Antarctica, her we come!”

Prior to her expedition training in Norway, Barbara did not have any experience of surviving in extreme cold weather, skiing or what it actually entails to take part in a polar expedition. But within one week of training in Norway, she was pulling pulks navigation using GPS, cooking on stoves and sleeping out in sub-zero conditions with team of international women.

After being selected, all final members of the team left Norway and arrived in London to attend the commonwealth day observance at Westminster Abbey on the 9th of March and a reception at Marlborough house on the 10th of March, where they had the honour of meeting HRM Queen Elizabeth II.

The day after that they were hosted by the Royal commonwealth society of London in the commonwealth club where the expedition was officially launched and attendance were all the expedition trainers, ambassadors and support team from all the eight countries.

Marking the 60th anniversary of the commonwealth the expedition aims to demonstrate the potential of greater intercultural understanding and exchange while at the same time highlighting the achievements of women across the world.
The expedition expected to set off to Antarctica in November 2009.

Braving crevasses, blizzards and towing a 100kg sledge the team aims to ski over 800 kilometers to reach the south pole on new years day 2010.

The team will be lead by British expeditioner. Felicity aston, 31 who has spend three years living and working in the Antarctic and who previous led the first British womens crossing of Greenland.


Source: Graphic Showbiz

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