Our Quest:

To Ski to the South Pole for Charity

We have completed our quest to ski to the South Pole to raise awareness and funds for deaf and hard-of-hearing people worldwide.

Our quest was to inspire a young generation to achieve the unimaginable by acquiring skills, developing abilities, and seeking out positive support to adapt to challenging environments.

To ski across the Antarctic plateau to the South Pole is an experience very few will realise. It remains one of the most exacting environments on earth - cold, windswept, desolate, and silent. Antarctica, with wind-chill temperatures of between -25 °C and -35 °C, is a vast white desert devoid of sound. We will trek 20 kilometres a day towing 100kg sleds in silence for around twenty days depending on conditions.

Two Mates, One Goal:

Trek in Silence

We, Christian Señor, 20, (London) and RJ Mannix, 18 (Calgary) became, respectively, the youngest deaf person to ski to the South Pole in history, and the youngest Western Canadian to achieve the same quest.

I’ve traveled to many corners of the earth and have witnessed how kids my age born deaf suffer from a lack of access to education, speech therapy, community acceptance, let alone the expensive option to have cochlear implants to restore some hearing. And yet,
***I have been lucky to receive plenty of support and opportunity from my relatives, my community, and my country.***
***So for me, this expedition is the beginning of a journey of giving to others what was given to me.***
I hope to inspire others that being born deaf can be managed and we can live happy, integrated, and wonderful lives - all it takes is someone willing to listen to our special needs and give us positive support.
***This is the challenge RJ, my good friend, and I are going to take on and show that nothing is impossible.***
**- Christian Señor-Clinton (20), London.**

Being raised in the Canadian Rockies has given me a strong spirit of adventure and exploration, and I have always had a deep desire to make a positive difference in the world. After meeting Christian four years ago, I knew he shared the same values, and from day one we became fast friends.
Thanks to our friendship, I have come to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of those having to cope with being deaf or hard of hearing, and this expedition gives me an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for a cause I truly care about.
Through this, I hope to give these disadvantaged individuals the support they need to thrive and I hope to inspire others to help support our cause and show them that, with a little support, anything is possible.

- *RJ Mannix (18) Calgary*

Inspiring Young People

Being deaf is tough. To manage life in a hearing world, with limited or no hearing, is a daily challenge in every way.

Young deaf or hard of hearing people need inspiration. They need to see that with positive support they can adapt and thrive in a hearing world.

With this expedition we aim to meet young people worldwide and tell them our story and encourage them to never give up and learn to manage the limitations imposed by their condition with purpose and hope.

Raising Awareness

Our aim is to raise awareness and sensitivity about the reality and challenges young people born deaf or hard of hearing face each and every day.

We believe in communities that provide positive support to help kids develop skills and abilities that enable them to reach their full potential with kindness, respect, and dignity.

Raising Funds

Our expedition is fully self-funded. It is paid for in its entirety through our own funds.

However, we want to invite anyone interested in our cause to make a donation that will directly benefit hundreds of children in need of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and all manner of audiological care in low, and middle-income countries.

Our Charity

We have chosen the Hear the World Foundation as the beneficiary of all money we raise through our expedition.

Since 2006, the Swiss-based Hear the World Foundation has been committed to improving the quality of life and promoting equal opportunities for children with hearing loss in low, and middle-income countries.

If it Sounds Good,

you may want to make a donation

Click here and mention Silent South Pole in the message box as your reference:

Hear the World Foundation Donation Page

Eric Philips

EXPEDITION LEADER
Eric Philips is an Australian polar adventurer and guide. He has pioneered a new route to the South Pole, skied from Russia to the North Pole and the North Pole to Canada, ski-kited across Greenland and the South Patagonian Icecap, and has traversed Spitsbergen and Ellesmere Island. As a guide, Eric has led numerous North and South Pole treks, guided the first school sailing expedition to Antarctica, worked as a polar guide with Greenpeace and for the Australian Antarctic Division.
Curtis Timmons

EXPEDITION COACH
Curtis has spent his life on snow during the winter months in western Canada where he was born, raised, and still resides. His 15 years of coaching experience with a focus on alpine athletes has taught him to channel his competitive spirit into helping others achieve their goals. With an endless curiosity around the physical capabilities of the human body, gear, marginal gains, and the psychology that ties it all together, he will be aiding in the physical preparation and gear acquisition for this expedition.
Carlos Ruiz Oliver

ARC’TERYX ALBERTA OPERATIONS LEAD
Originally from Spain, Carlos now lives in Canada where he loves spending his free time skiing and exploring the Rockies. Currently, he works at Arc’teryx, where he enjoys delivering product training to retail teams. His experience in the outdoor retail industry with brands like Arc’teryx, Salomon, or Patagonia, will help Christian and RJ to find the right gear needed for the expedition from Arc’teryx Alberta stock.