Mytholmroyd Paralympic champion sets off for world record attempt in Antarctica

Sponsored by enterprise search technology firm Sinequa, The Pole of Possibility is an expedition and research project that aims to break world records.

Scheduled to begin early December, the expedition will start in Antarctica at the 79th meridian west at Union Glacier Camp.

With support from a small team, Karen will ski across the interior of Antarctica, traveling to the intersection of the 79th meridians, a point specifically chosen to create the Pole of Possibility due to the significance of the number – 79 is the atomic number of gold.

The expedition is also an attempt for a world first for a female to sit-ski in Antarctica and a Guinness world record for the furthest distance ever taken by sit-ski or hand-bike in Antarctica.

Karen was a keen runner and climber until, at age 21, a fall left her paralysed from the waist down.

She won a silver medal at the London 2012 Paralympics and a gold medal in Rio in 2016, and has hand-cycled across the Himalayas and climbed up the infamous El Capitan cliff face.

She said: “With my expedition to Antarctica, I hope to show people that no setback in life is enough to stop you from achieving amazing things, and that any challenge is ultimately surmountable with the right tools.

"I am only able to do the expedition thanks to incredible technological advances and the support of sponsors like Sinequa, which I am truly grateful for.”

Mark Williams, CFO at Sinequa, said: “Karen is an inspiration to us all, and we could not be prouder to play a part in what she does.

"Her motivations align perfectly with Sinequa’s as a company – continuously seeking out new challenges, harnessing the power of technology to make the world a better place and motivating others.”

You can Join the virtual launch event on Wednesday, November 16, at 4pm.

To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pole-of-possibility-launch-event-tickets-440241794057?aff=erelexpmlt.

For more information about the Pole of Possibility Expedition and Project, please visit https://www.karendarke.com/the-pole-of-possibility/.

To donate to the Pole of Possibility project, visit the GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/f/pole-of-possibility?member=3343714.