Alan Chambers MBE

Alan Chambers MBE is a British Polar Adventurer and Expedition Leader.

A leadership skills and team motivation expert, he was the leader of the first British team to walk unsupported from Canada to the Geographical North Pole successfully.

As a result, Alan has led many annual expeditions to both the South Pole and the North Pole.

He has many other polar records to his name, including taking his 9-year-old son to the North Pole and becoming the youngest father & son to stand on the top of the world!

“Alan’s amazing story and the remarkable focus he had around the North Pole Trip truly inspired the team in their preparation for the World Cup.”
Martin Johnson MBE – Former England Rugby Captain

Born in Scunthorpe, he joined the Royal Marines in 1985. He spent 16 years as a Commando, operating in Jungle, Desert, Arctic and Urban Environments. He was also formally qualified as a diver, parachutist, paramedic and survival instructor.

Between 1990 and 1994, Alan spent the winters teaching Arctic survival in the mountains of North Norway.

Alan Chambers Explorer

Chambers planned and led Britain’s first unsupported team to walk from Canada to the Geographical North Pole.

Following significant challenges, including evacuating team members, frostbite and hunger, the group raised the Union Jack on top of the world just before midnight on the 16th of May 2000.

The expedition lasted a gruelling 70 days. Even with meticulous planning, the unpredictable quickly reminded Alan and his team of their humanity.

Alan’s team suffered near starvation and a dwindling fuel supply while trekking 500 miles against the worst weather in over a century.  They completed what some said was impossible.

The expedition demanded an extraordinarily high level of commitment, focus, leadership and teamwork.

Alan was awarded the MBE in the Queens 2000 New Year’s Honours list for determination and strong leadership in such adverse conditions.

Mission Spiritus Antarctica 2023/2024

More recently, Alan trekked 1,130km, unsupported across Antarctica. The challenge was part of Mission Spiritus Antarctica, a multi-faceted polar scientific expedition undertaking research into the global impact of nanoplastics on behalf of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

They dragged heavily laden sledges for 58 days on the polar ice, battling some of the Earth’s most extreme conditions, trekking from Hercules inlet on the edge of the frozen Antarctic continent to reach their destination.

Departing in December 2023, Alan and Dave Thomas arrived at the South Pole on 19th Jan 2024.

Alan’s other expeditions have included:

• Member of the first team to traverse Iceland during winter
• Led a team coast to coast across Greenland launching Feet of Green – the UK’s most significant education-based expedition.
• Summited Mount Kilimanjaro with many groups as the team leader
• Completed the Yukon Arctic Ultra challenge
• Led the ‘Highest Classroom on Earth’ trekking to Everest base camp (BBC doc)
• Leader of the ‘Coldest Classroom on Earth’ (BBC doc)
• Led the ‘Hottest Classroom on Earth’ (BBC doc)
• Leader of the ‘Fastest Classroom on Earth’ (Sky doc)
• Led the 2015 Head North expedition leading Rugby World Cup Winners Lewis Moody, Josh Lewsey & Danny Grewcock to the North Pole.
• Leader of the 2018 Borne Arctic Challenge to the North Pole. Team Borne featured Jason Fox and Will Greenwood MBE.

Alan will lead a future expedition to finish Ernest Shackleton’s trek across Antarctica, featuring team member Ann Daniels.

Alan Chambers Motivational Speaker:

As a professional motivational speaker, Alan delivers teamwork, change and leadership presentations to global audiences from various businesses, blue-chip organisations and educational establishments such as Harvard, London Business School, Dartmouth (USA) and Ashridge.

Alan delivers motivational business lessons in a practical, down-to-earth style.

It has become clear that the values which brought success to Alan’s expeditions are directly applicable to the business world.

Furthermore, Alan’s speeches and workshops can be adapted to suit a company or organisation’s specific themes.

Speaking and Workshop topics include:

• Team Selection
• Motivating and Leading Teams
• Doing More with Less
• Winning Belief and Winning Behaviors
• Change and Risk
• Managing Setbacks
• Extreme Leadership Lessons

England Rugby and Cricket Teams:

• Sir Clive Woodward invited Alan Chambers to speak to the England Rugby Team in preparation for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. England won the World Cup that year.

• The England Cricket coach invited Alan to motivate the England Cricket Team before the 2005 Ashes. England won the Ashes that year.

• Both teams wanted to concentrate on project focus, maintaining direction in adversity and adapting to change.

“Alan gave us a presentation on how he got through an unsupported walk to the North Pole. An amazing journey of endurance, skill & strength. There were parallels to be shared, and he told us there would be blips and setbacks along our route. After the first test, I remembered what he had said”
Michael Vaughan – England Ashes Captain

Alan Chambers Book:

In 2018, Alan released his second book – Lead Yourself to Success: Ordinary People Achieving Extraordinary Results Through Self-leadership.

This new book shows you how to develop the leadership mindset to get wherever you want to go in life, trust your judgement and come out on top of the world.

Contact Alan Chambers agent – james@gordonpoole.com

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