Beijing time, January 5 news: 31-year-old former Royal Navy sailor Alan Lock has completed an expedition to Antarctica, becoming the first blind person to trek there, taking 39 days. During this period, he faced roaring winds and temperatures as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius. What sustained him through the 600-mile journey and kept him moving forward was the desire to raise funds for a vision charity.
Raising Funds for Charity
Completing the Challenge While Pulling a Sled
Mr. Lock, who lost his sight due to illness, pulled his 60-kilogram sled to complete the challenge. “What an incredible adventure!” said Lock upon reaching Antarctica. “I’m absolutely thrilled to have made it to the South Pole.” “First, having the opportunity to go on such an expedition, and then reaching the South Pole, a place visited by so few, has been a wonderful experience. We encountered a series of difficulties, but my capable team helped me overcome them.” Fortunately, during the 39-day trek, they did not encounter any blizzards.
This trek, which began on November 22, 2011, has so far raised £15,000 for the charity Seeing is Believing. The funds will be used to help treat blind people in developing countries and to train guide dogs for the blind in San Francisco.
Lock set off from Somerset, England, carrying a guidebook, and was joined by two sighted teammates, Andrew Jensen and Richard Smith, with whom he had become friends while pursuing an MBA in the United States. Lock said: “Walking nine hours a day in the ice and snow, we almost burned through 9,000 calories every day. There were many uneven terrains during the trek, and we suffered many tumbles and falls. I mainly relied on my teammates to guide me through.” In fact, prior to the departure, the team underwent intensive training in Canada — dragging tires tied to their waists along the beach, and periodically training at home to build muscle strength to pull the sled.
Lost his sight
Currently working in telecommunications
Caroline Harper, CEO of the charity Seeing is Believing, said: “We are extremely grateful and admire Lock for supporting our work in this way. We will spare no effort to fund treatments that can restore sight to impoverished blind people in developing countries. By taking on such a huge challenge to raise funds for us, Lock and his team will change the vision and lives of some of the world’s poorest people.”
Lock was forced to end his navy career due to his vision problems, and now works in telecommunications. Despite losing his sight, Lock has never given up his adventurous spirit. He has completed ten marathons, including a 151-mile marathon in the Sahara Desert. He has also climbed numerous peaks, including the highest in Europe, and in 2008, set a Guinness World Record by becoming the first visually impaired person to row across the Atlantic Ocean.