Ann Daniels

Who Is Ann Daniels?

Ann Daniels is a British Record-Breaking Polar Explorer and Motivational Speaker.

She is the first woman in history, along with teammate Caroline Hamilton, to reach the North and South Poles as members of all-women teams.

Ann is among the few who have walked to the North and South Geographical poles.

Ann’s polar expedition career started in 1996. Although she had no previous outdoor experience and was a mother of 18-month-old triplets, she beat off over 200 other women on a tough Dartmoor selection weekend to join the first McVities Penguin Polar Relay team.

Ann Daniels has led three major scientific expeditions on the Arctic Ocean, working with scientists to understand better the problems facing the fragile Arctic Ocean.

Her achievements have been recognised and awarded by many, including:

• The Guinness Book of Records
• The Pride of Britain Awards
• The Women of the Year Awards

Furthermore, Ann earned the Freedom of Yeovil Town and an honorary degree from Exeter University.

“Ann is living proof that humans really can reach new peaks.”
The Times

Ann Daniels, Explorer and Arctic Motivational Speaker

Ann Daniels is a leader of men and women at the ends of the world. She provides motivational speeches on topics including:

• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Motivation
• Climate Change
• Resilience

Ann tailors every speech to her audience, highlighting the key elements necessary to the event.

Her warmth, honesty, positivity, grit, and determination ensure compelling presentations as an inspirational speaker.

“One of the top 20 Great British Adventurers of all time.”
The Daily Telegraph

What are Ann Daniels’ Expeditions?

2000

Ann was a member of the first British female team to reach the South Pole on foot with four other women. They pulled sledges weighing over 140 lbs and navigated by the sun. They travelled 700 miles across Antarctica, the most inhospitable continent in the world.

2002

Ann organised the first all-female team in the world to ski to both poles. Temperatures as low as -50º severely hampered progress, and success looked doubtful from the start. Three severe storms hit them, so they could not erect their tent. They huddled together for three days, surviving with little food and water. The team suffered frostbite, back problems and carbon monoxide poisoning. After 47 days, one of the team members was evacuated. Despite these setbacks, Ann and her teammate achieved their goal and reached the pole triumphantly.

2004

Ann Daniels’ North Pole Expedition. Ann led the last-degree expedition to the North Pole, where 15 captains of industry made a 60-mile journey across the sea ice to reach the North Pole safely.

2005

Ann completed a solo expedition across the Arctic sea ice from the Russian pack ice. She spent 21 days on the ice alone and encountered five polar bears during the 124-mile journey across the moving Arctic Ocean.

2009

Ann Daniels was a navigator, pathfinder and head of ice operations for the Catlin Arctic survey. Her team, Pen Hadow and Martin Hartley, manually measured the thickness of the Arctic Ocean’s ice. Ann led the team from the front for 74 days over a 233-mile transect.

2010

Ann was the team leader of the second Catlin Arctic survey. They reached the North Pole after 60 days and 270 miles. After long days of sledge hauling, the team hand drilled the ice up to 5 metres thick to collect water samples to assist scientists in better understanding the effects of Carbon Dioxide on the Arctic Ocean.

2011

Ann Daniels and Tyler Fish were the only remaining original team members who led a four-person team on the final Catlin Arctic survey. It was the most ambitious of Catlin’s expeditions. Accompanied by a cameraman and a scientist, they measured the sea ice’s thickness and studied the ocean’s thermohaline circulation.

2017 and 2018

In 2017 and 2018, in collaboration with NASA, NOAA, and ESA, Ann took part in an expedition to ski the last 2 degrees to the North Pole. Once again, the team collected vital data to help scientists better understand climate change’s effect on the Arctic Ocean. The team’s mission was to insert tracking buoys to monitor the movement of the disappearing ice near the North Pole. As a result, this enabled NASA to monitor ice movement in the Arctic during the long summer melt.

Along with Polar Adventurer Alan Chambers, Ann Daniels is a team member of a future expedition to finish Ernest Shackleton’s trek across Antarctica.

How to Book Ann Daniels

To book Ann Daniels to speak at your event, please contact Agent James Poole – james@gordonpoole.com