Expedition Team
Ray Zahab
Ray has won numerous international ultra marathons of distances from 100 to over 200 miles in length in some of the harshest conditions on the globe. He and two other runners recently ran the entire width of the Sahara Desert—4500 miles in 111 days with no rest days—and in the process learned of the seriousness of the water crisis in Africa. The run was documented in a film directed by Oscar winner James Moll and narrated by Matt Damon. One of the goals of the film is to raise awareness for the water crisis in Africa. Ray now uses his athletic career to support philanthropic causes and inspire youth. Ray is the official Athletic Ambassador for the ONEXONE organization and is a board member of the Ryan's Well Foundation. Ray is the founder of i2P. Along with Richard Weber and Kevin Vallely, Ray trekked unsupported to the South Pole in a world record time of 33 days, 23 hours and 55 mintues, and in the process the team shared their expedition with, and were inspired by, thousands of students.
Kevin Vallely
With grace and calm, Kevin combines the seemingly impossible demands of world-class adventurer, journalist, architect, and father. Kevin is known internationally for his broad experience and deep technical knowledge as an explorer. He bicycled the Iditarod trail 1150 miles from Dawson to Nome in the dead of winter, competed on elite adventure racing teams, kayaked in Siberia with his baby girl and wife, and explored jungle and Arctic regions around the globe. Kevin has numerous television documentaries and articles to his credit and is a popular media personality. Along with Richard Weber and Ray Zahab, Kevin trekked unsupported to the South Pole in a world record time of 33 days, 23 hours and 55 mintues, and in the process the team shared their expedition with, and were inspired by, thousands of students.
Marshall Ulrich
Marshall Ulrich, 58, is an accomplished Speaker, Author, Trainer, and Guide who provides his services through Dreams in Action (DNA), encouraging others to discover what they're made of. Called the "Endurance King" by Outside Magazine, in 2008 he completed a 3,063-mile run across America, equal to 117 marathons in 52.5 days, breaking the Masters and Grand Masters record. Marshall is the only person in the world to complete the Triple Crown of Extreme Sports: 121 ultra marathons averaging over 100 miles each; the Seven Summits, including Mount Everest, all on first attempts; and 12 expedition-length adventure races. Marshall has crossed Death Valley a record 21 times, including a 586-mile quad crossing and a self-contained, unaided solo. He won the Badwater 146-mile race from minus 282 feet to the 14,494-foot summit of Mount Whitney a record 4 times – and still holds the record to the summit. Marshall has raised over $ $850,000 for various charities, including the Religious Teachers Filippini, an order of Sisters that do the real work of peace and justice by fulfilling their mission to “Go and Teach.” For more information go to
www.marshallulrich.com.
Tessum Weber
Tessum Weber, born May 9th 1989, is the eldest son of Polar Explorer and Adventurers Richard Weber & Josee Auclair. From the age of 6 weeks, Tessum has spent his summers travelling throughout the Arctic. He has lived on remote Inuit outpost camps, lived entirely "off the land" with Inuit families and has spent his summers on the tundra, exploring remote regions of the arctic.
Tessum went to the North Pole in 2005, has taken part in a ski trek across Ellesmere Island, and has recently returned from trekking in Nepal. He plans to ski to the North Pole from Canada with his father this coming winter - becoming the youngest person ever to complete the 800km expedition.
At age 20, he studies business at the University of Ottawa, and continues to work in the family business, managing Arctic Watch Wilderness Lodge (
www.arcticwatch.ca) and sharing his love for the arctic with every guest. Tessum is delighted to have been asked to help guide this expedition, an opportunity to retrace the 1953 expedition his grandfather undertook and to take part in an exciting adventure with interesting, experienced and motivated adventurers.
Jen Segger
Ever since discovering the multi-sport world several years ago, Jen has dedicated her life to becoming a top endurance competitor. Racing professionally has enabled her to travel the world, meet incredible people and most of all, challenge and push her body in ways she hadn't thought possible. Over the years, she has worked hard and is now racing with and against the best endurance athletes in the world. Jen represented i2P at the Badwater Ultramarathon in 2008. She is the youngest woman ever to complete the 135 mile grueling desert crossing. She finished overall in the Top 10 and is an inspiration to everyone who knows her.
Kathy Adams
Kathy combines her career as an environmental advisor and
a fondness for ultra distance running to constantly learn and
push herself past her perceived limits, and is passionate in
her goals of helping to find solutions for many of the social
issues affecting young people at home and abroad. Through
ultra running she discovered an inner drive to set far-reach-
ing goals and a dedication to pursue them to completion.
During Ray’s crossing of the Sahara she ran 160 kilometers
with the team in some of the harshest conditions of the
expedition. Kathy volunteers her time as a board member
of the Ryan’s Well Foundation and she hopes to pass on a
legacy of learning and giving to her daughter Mia Sahara.
Kevin Lin
Kevin is an accomplished ultramarathoner, having placed incredibly well in every event that he has ever entered. Kevin was a member of the Running The Sahara team and continues to run in expeditions worldwide. Passionate about our youth, Kevin coordinates adventure camps in his home Taiwan. impossible2Possible is proud to have Kevin coordinating our Asia activities. Kevin is a graduate of National Chung Cheng University, receiving his major from Graduate Institute of Sport and Leisure Education.
Bob Cox
Bob Cox has been in athletics all of his life and has recently found his stride in endurance endeavors such as the Canada OnexOne, the Oceanside 70.3 Triathlon and the San Francisco 24hour footrace race with a top ten finish. He spent much of his youth surfing in the Pacific Ocean and from those experiences his passion for our big blue planet was formed. In October 2007, Bob met Ray at a Livestrong event in Texas and from that moment he knew his life had changed. From that day forward the two men have dedicated their lives to the message and ideals of i2P.
Education and Research Team
Dr. Ewan Affleck
i2P Science and Education Coordinator
Ewan will be taking part in this expedition as a guide and as educational coordinator. A graduate of the McGill School of Medicine, he has worked and lives in Northern Canada since 1992. Medivacs and community visits have taken him across most of the Canadian Artic. He has served as clinical advisor to the Keewatin Regional Health Board and is currently the Medical Director of the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority and Clinical Director of the Northwest Territories e-Health Initiative. He maintains an active clinical practice, providing both hospital based and remote community services. He is passionate about designing sustainable and ecologically sound health services for remote northern communities. Ewan has been running for many years, and much prefers to run on snow than on asphalt. He has won 2 northern ultra marathons. He is married and has 2 children, Zander and Anika.
Leona Chatwood - i2P Research Assistant
With a background in both Education and Library Science , Leona has had a long career as a Teacher and Library Technician . She has lived and worked in Newfoundland and Labrador, central Canada and western Canada, with her focus being on education and research. After graduating from Algonquin College's Library and Information Technology Program she had been able to combine these two interests. Leona is enthusiastic and pleased to be assisting with the educational research for the I2P South Pole Quest, 2008.
Alex Hoechsmann - Writer
Alex is a musician pretending to be an ER physician (or is it the other way around) living in Yellowknife, NT. Alex grew up in BC and in his previous life worked for theater companies and music groups doing lighting design and technical support. For the past five years he has been working at the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife. When he's not at work he can be found playing his guitar or running around with his kids. His favorite foods are curries and mexican dishes. His heros are John Lennon, Nelson Mandela and Bugs Bunny.
Kat Belendiuk - Writer
Kat is a Ph.D. candidate in the joint clinical and developmental psychology program at the University of Pittsburgh. Her primary goal is to help children; professionally, her research is focused on adolescent substance use and externalizing disorders (e.g. ADHD). Beyond academia, Kat is a coach for Girls on the Run, a program that trains 3rd-5th grade girls for a 5K while building confidence and teaching skills such as communication and teamwork. Kat is an ultramarathoner and triathlete who completed the 2009 Antarctica Marathon to raise support and awareness for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Kat hopes to continue to pursue athletic adventures around the world while helping others, be it through research, fundraising or community service.
Peter Sheldon - Research Assistant
Peter is an award winning journalist based in Yellowknife. He has spent the last year travelling around the North, spending time in all three Canadian Territories and Alaska. His formal education includes a BPHE in Physical and Health Education and a BSc in Life Sciences (Queens University, Kingston, ON) as well as a BJ Radio Journalism (King's College, Halifax). While working in Iqaluit, Peter became involved in some of the on-the-ground research leading up to the Akshayuk Pass Expedition. He brings a passion for story telling, research and adventure.
Logistics Team
Anton Stranc - Technical Equipment Advisor
Anton is an accomplished endurance athlete. He has completed numerous marathons, Ironmans, and Adventure races. As an IT Director, his strengths are in communication, planning, logistics, and technology which he applies with enthusiasm to I2P projects. He is drawn to extreme events realizing that life is about the journey and not the destination. " Too few people take the time to explore the limits they set upon themselves."
Nick Gravel - Web Presence & Logistics
Nick Gravel, B.Eng (Communications), has over 8 years experience in sales, marketing and internet communications. Nick is actively involved with the growth of i2P's web presence and the ongoing development of two way communication with students during expeditions.
