Former Christ College pupil on North Pole Trek

A former pupil from Christ College, Brecon, is part of the only team of women competing in a gruelling 360-mile polar race to the North Pole.

Tori James, 23, from Pembrokeshire, attended the independent school between 1998 and 2000 before becoming an officer manager at BSES Expeditions in London. She is joined on the trek by Sam Eve, 26, and Felicity Aston, 27.

Their team, the Pink Lady Polecats, is the only female team taking part in the Scott Dunn Polar Challenge race and are set to be the first ever women’s team to complete this adventure.

The Pink Lady Polecats, is one of sixteen international teams going on the polar race from Canada to the North Magnetic Pole which involves enduring temperatures as low as – 40°C whilst hauling heavy equipment.

The women trained for over a year by going on mini expeditions to learn survival techniques such as fending off polar bears. The expedition took off on 22nd April for three weeks.

There is huge support for the team back in Britain. Phillip Jones, Tori James’s former headmaster at Christ College said: “We are very proud of Tori. This adventure is a sign of tremendous mental and physical abilities. We wish her and her team the best of luck.”

The Pink Lady Polecats are raising funds for the charities Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the British School Exploring Society (BSES).

More information on the expedition can be found on www.polar-challenge.com and www.bses.org.uk.