Record-Breaking Sit-Ski Across Antarctica

This December, record-breaking wheelchair adventurer Darren Edwards will attempt a new world record: to become the first person with a high-level spinal cord injury to complete the longest sit-ski expedition in polar history.

Paralysed from the chest down, Darren will sit-ski 222km across Antarctica to the South Pole in just 20 days, enduring -30°C temperatures and extreme conditions, all with the target of raising £100,000 for Wings for Life, a charity funding spinal injury research.

Darren is one of Britain’s most inspiring adaptive adventurers. Since a near-fatal climbing accident in 2016 left him paralysed, he has redefined what’s possible for those with spinal cord injuries. His achievements include:

• Becoming the first wheelchair athlete to complete the World Marathon Challenge — seven marathons in seven days across seven continents.
• Kayaking 1,400km from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
• Rowing the English Channel in memory of his late father, raising funds for suicide prevention.
• Skiing across Europe’s largest ice cap, Vatnajokull in Iceland, as part of the first adaptive team to do so.

The South Pole expedition will push Darren to the absolute limit. The current sit-ski record stands at 111km — Darren aims to double it. Starting at 88° South and finishing at the Geographical South Pole (90° South), the team will ski unsupported, camping each night and facing altitude sickness, exhaustion, snowstorms, sastrugi and crevasses.

Joining Darren are three exceptional teammates: Lucy Shepherd, a modern British explorer whose Channel 4 documentary chronicled her pioneering expedition across the Amazo; Dwayne Fields, Chief Scout and the first Black Briton to reach the North Pole, recently seen in Channel 5’s ‘Endurance: Race to the Pole’ and Matthew Biggar, an award-winning filmmaker and endurance athlete who will document the journey.

Beyond the physical feat, Darren’s mission is to challenge perceptions of disability and inspire others to redefine their own limits. Wings for Life, supported by Red Bull, funds cutting-edge global research into spinal cord injury. Since 2004, it has backed over 270 projects, including six major clinical trials  and there is now real hope for a cure within a generation.

There are an estimated 50,000 people living with spinal cord injuries in the UK, and over 300,000 globally each year. The impact is lifelong, affecting not just mobility but core bodily functions. Darren’s story, from intensive care to elite adventure, is a testament to resilience, grit, and the power of purpose.