Former GB Para Athlete Passes Halfway Point in South Pole Trek

A solo skiing expedition to the South Pole by a former Team GB para athlete has passed its halfway point. Jonny Huntington, who hails from Kingsbridge, Devon, has traversed 911km (566 miles) across the Antarctic, contending with extreme conditions such as continuous 24-hour sunlight. The 38-year-old, who experienced a stroke in 2014 resulting in substantial impaired movement and control on his left side, seeks to be the inaugural disabled individual to accomplish this feat. Mr. Huntington, a former army officer, stated that he has been skiing for as many as 11 hours daily, covering distances between 18 and 23km (11 and 14 miles) each day, with an aspiration to arrive at the South Pole by 7 January. Throughout the challenge, Mr. Huntington, who became part of the GB Para Nordic ski team after his stroke, has been pulling a sled containing all his equipment and food, which exceeds 110kg (17.3st) in weight. He noted that a particularly unusual element of the journey has been the absence of any wildlife or vegetation. Mr. Huntington described the landscape, stating, “It looks sort of like one of the desert scenes from a post-apocalyptic movie, like Mad Max or something.” He added, “I have gone weeks without seeing a single even feature in the landscape, which is pretty cool in a lot of ways.” He also mentioned that his plans for Christmas Day included communicating with his family and preparing a particularly strong cup of coffee.