Impossible2Possible
Boulder, CO

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I2P South Pole Expedition

Dear Friends of Adventure and Youth:

Many of you remember that I founded a non-profit earlier this year with my coach and close friend, Ray Zahab, and another athlete, Bob Cox. We've had a good year of doing what we do, which is creating adventures-both high-profile adventures for elite athletes and learning adventures for youth-that highlight critical environmental issues in the areas where these adventures take place. I'm writing to let you know about our latest expedition, a 700 mile, record-setting run to the South Pole. Yes. You read that correctly, a run to the South Pole! Not only are we pursuing a speed record for this traditional expedition route, but we will also be the first expedition in history to make this journey on foot, rather than on skis, dogsled, or motorized vehicle. The expedition team departed for the staging area in Punta Arenas, Chile, just yesterday.

THE MISSION:

I2P's mission is to use adventure to inspire and educate young people for leadership roles in sustainability initiatives, i.e. in efforts to protect this fragile planet and, therefore, the people who call it home. We believe that pushing beyond oneself to directly experience the world, its beauty, and its fragility, is the best way to foster a passion for sustainable lifestyle and business practices. We also believe that young people are our best hope for making changes that will protect the environment for future generations. To give you a feel for how we combine these elements, I want to fill you in on how our South Pole expedition is structured, and how you can participate.

THE RESEARCH:

Along the way we will be gathering data for three research projects. The first, led by Dr. Ewan Affleck, will test practical strategies and technologies for reducing personal carbon footprint. His goal is to make the expedition as close to energy neutral as possible. The University of Washington's department of Rehabilitation, Orthopedics, and Sports Medicine is also conducting an experiment, led by adventure researcher Brian Krabak, M.D., on body composition changes during endurance events in extreme conditions. Dr. Krabak conducted endurance research involving Ray and me during a 150 mile race in the Sahara Desert in 1995. Finally, the University of Arizona will conduct research on group dynamics during the expedition, focusing on the role of passion in exploration and adventure.
THE TEAM:

Ray Zahab is the primary runner on this expedition and will be supported by renowned explorer and arctic guide, Richard Weber, who will be on skis. Adventure journalist and championship skier, Kevin Vallely, will capture the adventure on film. While I'm disappointed that our original plan for a four-person expedition (which included me as the second runner) had to be adjusted due to funding, I'm thrilled that we raised enough support to make this world class effort a reality. It's been a fantastic adventure to launch this organization and work our way toward an event of this magnitude. Having a single runner will put incredible pressure on Ray to succeed, since there will be no backup; fortunately, however, Ray responds well to pressure!

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT:

Finally, we are involving a shipful of youth in our expedition through our partnership with Students on Ice (SOI), an award-winning organization that teaches youth about our precious and fragile arctic regions. Two students were selected by SOI and I2P to receive scholarships (valued at $24,000) for an SOI Antarctic Voyage. These two students will serve as expedition support, helping tell the story of the expedition to a worldwide youth audience through blogs and web-based news reports. They will be working with a professional journalist from Expedition News to hone their reporting skills. We've selected students whose passion for the environment, academic achievement, and personal stories are deeply inspiring. You'll learn more about these spectacular young leaders by following the expedition, which will be tracked, live on our website: www.southpolequest.com . Please visit the site now! Students around the world will be able to follow the expedition, these young leaders, and the carbon neutral experiment online at the same site.

Middle school and high school educators interested in teaching about social and environmental sustainability can sign up for a free education module which will follow the expedition and Polar research live. To sign up, visit our website, click on the "Education" link, and following the directions. To learn more about i2P in general, visit www.impossible2possible.com.

SUPPORT:

This effort is being funded by organizations that include Gatorade, Crocs, EP&C (Energy Procurement and Conservation), Apple Computers, Nathan, and many others (see a complete list on our website). In addition, Outside Magazine, Discovery Channel, and numerous other media companies are covering the expedition, so keep your eyes peeled.

Unlike our expeditions, which rely on corporate sponsors, our youth initiatives-including seminars, trips, and online resources-are funded primarily by grants and individual donations. So please consider buying some cool i2P swag (some of it designed by Paul Frank, Inc.) or making a tax-deductible donation to i2P. Just go to our website to purchase or donate.

THE FUTURE:

I'll keep you posted on several i2P initiatives over the next several months. Most importantly, you'll hear about our plans to create more service-learning adventures and leadership seminars for young people. Also, please watch for the winter release of Running the Sahara, a film narrated by Matt Damon and starring i2P athlete Ray Zahab. Finally, stay tuned for a blog about my own preparations for two i2P events next year: the 2009 Badwater, a 135 mile, uphill race from Death Valley up Mt. Whitney, and a 700 mile run across the wilds of Liberia. Both runs will feature i2P sponsored research, sustainability, and youth-development pieces. I will also describe the training program that Ray provides, which is always brilliant (and excruciating).

I hope that you'll follow this historic expedition and continue to support our efforts to develop young leaders.

Thanks so much for your interest.

Enthusiastically,
Will Laughlin
Co-Founder and Director
impossible2Possible