About Me
My name’s Cat, and back in 2021, I decided to take the first step toward going for my dream: a solo, unsupported expedition to the South Pole.
This didn’t just come out of nowhere; adventure has always been a part of my life and Antarctica has held a special place since an inspirational Geography lesson back in 1995.
I can still picture that moment, seeing a picture of the incredible white landscape, learning that it was the largest desert on earth, and telling myself that I would go there one day.
So why did it take me nearly 30 years to get there?
Well, other ambitions and adventures took hold until the moment felt right, and I had the self-belief that I could achieve it.
I work as a dentist in Cornwall, mainly focusing on the treatment of NHS orthodontic patients during the week and working for the out of hours emergency service on Friday evenings and occasional weekends. I also find the time to teach expedition dentistry as part of the faculty for World Extreme Medicine. I love this mix and variety to my job, a vocation that I’ve worked toward from the day I went head over handlebars racing my sister on our bikes when I was just 10 years old. Fixing my broken tooth and giving me my smile back, had a lasting impact!
Living in Cornwall for the past 20 years, I definitely call it my home. With family scattered across the UK, basing myself in a bit of a holiday destination has been useful for encouraging visitors.
I was desperate for independence whilst growing up and loved to explore with friends.
It never really left me, and my passion for adventure and helping others has led me on a journey across the globe. From the jungles of Borneo to the deserts of the Gobi, the African grasslands and the mountain regions of Nepal and Patagonia, I have travelled extensively, volunteering to provide dental care and education to remote communities.
I’ve always felt that there was a big challenge in me, and these experiences have taught me to rely on myself and test the boundaries of what I am capable of. They have felt like a solid foundation and building block for the more extreme challenge ahead.
Training and gaining the skills to be able to reach the South Pole has taken time and dedication. I have had to prove myself, building a ‘Polar CV’ over the last 3 years.
The time has passed quickly, and I even surprise myself when I look back at photographs of my very first day on expedition skis and see just how far I have come.
On day one, I told myself that I only had to commit to that first step. Well that first step led to many more! After that first polar skills training course in Finse, Norway, I returned for a longer, mini expedition. My life became dedicated to dragging tyres around the coastal paths of Cornwall, learning how to train my body for endurance. I completed navigation courses, headed to Chamonix to learn about glacier travel, crevasse rescues and rope skills.
A major milestone in my training was in August 2023, when I joined an expedition team and set off in the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansen, crossing the whole of Greenland from the east coast to the west coast, over 39 days. It was a journey that tested me in every way, and one which was vital in sealing my confidence for a solo expedition.
Completing a 2-week solo expedition in Norway in April 2024 was the final, official ‘tick’ on my to-do list. There is no short cut to preparing for the South Pole and nor should there be. When I set foot on Antarctica in November, I will be leaning on all the experiences I have been exposed to and finding a great confidence in that.
