Pink Lady producers are celebrating after their all female Polecat team became the first to reach the North Magnetic Pole.
Sam Eve, 26, from Felixstowe, Suffolk, Tori James, 23 from Pembrokeshire, Wales and Felicity Aston, 27 from Hildenborough, Kent - the Pink Lady® PoleCats - completed what is considered to be the toughest race on earth in just 13 days, finishing sixth out of the 16 teams taking part.
The final few miles of the 360-mile race saw the women push for a “spring finish” to pass two other male teams.
Aston said: “Our first emotion is relief that we haven’t let any of our many supporters back home down, relief that all the money pledged for charity will be safely in the bank and relief that after a year of training and preparation we have made it - all three of us.
“Tori James is the youngest woman to ever complete the Polar Challenge race. The excitement of it all is starting to kick in. We are quite exhausted as we made a conscious decision to only sleep for one hour in the last 36 hours of the race because we wanted to pass two other teams we could see ahead of us.”
James added: “The team cannot wait to celebrate with everyone back home, our sponsors Pink Lady apples, who are absolutely delighted for us, our patron Caroline Hamilton and everyone who has worked so hard to make this possible.”
The Pink Lady PoleCats were the only all-women’s team taking part in this year’s internationally-renowned competition.
The race involves 16 international teams of three people trekking in temperatures as low as -40°C with skis and hauling their own heavy sledges over shifting frozen sea ice.
Andy Macdonald from Coregeo, brand managers for Pink Lady in the UK, said: “Anyone who has met the girls will know they all have star quality but their achievement is quite astonishing.
“They are an inspiration to us all about what can be accomplished through gritty determination, training and a desire to get the most out of life. They are quite an amazing bunch of ladies.”
