In 2015, Amelia Rudd had a young family, a full-time job, no spare cash, and had never skied.
Through her job, Amelia met a military team that was doing a bold expedition in Antarctica and became fascinated with Antarctica, and the stories of the golden age of polar exploration.
After crossing Greenland in 2018, a journey of 570km in 27 days, Amelia completed a 42-day solo, unsupported and unassisted expedition to the South Pole in 2020, becoming only the seventh woman in history to do so. She is still the only mother to have done that journey, and wants to explore the conversation around motherhood and the barriers to adventures, and the narrative around motherhood and risk.
She has four children (26, 22, 20 and 16), who have grown up to be equally passionate about their own interests.
In 2022, she attempted the women’s speed record for a coastline to Pole expedition in Antarctica. Although she didn’t complete this mission, she went on to climb Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak, and this led to a long-term plan to complete the Explorers’ Grand Slam - the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, as well as skiing to both the North and South Pole. She would be the first British woman to complete the Grand Slam.
Amelia is now a full-time polar guide, taking clients to the Greenland ice sheet, Antarctica, Norway and the deserts of Oman.
She is passionate about sharing her love of the great outdoors. A keen mountain biker, hiker, trail runner and climber, Amelia loves the UK mountains and countryside as much as more extreme environments. She is a qualified Mountain Leader, aspirant Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI), and qualified skydiver.
Keen to share her journey, especially with women in mid-life, who might feel like they need to regain a sense of who they are, Amelia is passionate about giving people a positive approach to long-term dreams, and encouraging people to be ambitious in their goals. She is an experienced public speaker and has spoken at global corporate events, adventure festivals, schools and charity events in an effort to share that passion, and her story of someone ordinary achieving the extraordinary. In 2023, Amelia was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Winchester University, for her work in this area, which she has described as 'activism through adventure'.
