Pictured L-R: Scouts Australia Chief Commissioner Phil Harrison, Dr Gareth Andrews, Her Excellency Linda Hurley, His Excellency David Hurley, Mark Richardson, Dr Richard Stephenson
Read all about it…. there’s been fantastic publicity for our ‘Scouts Ambassadors’ who are setting off to attempt the first unassisted complete transverse of Antarctica!
Later this year, these two intrepid explorers – Dr Gareth Andrews and Dr Richard Stephenson – will head off to attempt this never-before achieved feat. During the 110-day gruelling expedition they’ll also be collecting vital climate science data as they cross uncharted territory.
Ahead of the challenge, the dynamic duo and their campaign Chairman, Mark Richardson, were honoured at Government House in Canberra on 27 May 2022 by being invested into Scouts by the Chief Scout, His Excellency the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, David Hurley.
Both Gareth and Richard will be spreading the word that young people can have incredible ambitions, and learn life skills, through Scouting.
Dr Andrews encapsulates this ethos, saying “My time in the Scouts equipped me with the necessary survival skills to be safe and to push the boundaries in the world’s wild places. It was also in the Scouts that, as a youngster, I was first introduced to the concepts of leadership, camaraderie and teamwork. Scouts also taught me my most valuable lesson, to be inquisitive about the world we live in. I carry these lessons with me now, many years later, and I firmly believe they make me a better doctor and adventurer.”
You can follow their incredible journey, from arduous training for dragging a 200kg sled across the continent, right through to hitting the ice here Home – The Last Great First
For more insights and inspiration, read this Sydney Morning Herald article How Manly resident Gareth Andrews is travelling to Antarctica for historic 110-day trek (smh.com.au)
