Young explorer from Llanelli sets sail on adventure of a lifetime to Antarctica

HURTIGRUTEN Expeditions, the world’s leading expedition cruise company, and the #WeTwo Foundation have revealed that Allison Ciszynska from Llanelli, Wales has joined a group of young adults on an epic adventure to Antarctica, which sets sail today.

Nominated by teachers, social workers, police officers, parents, guardians and friends from across the UK, those chosen to participate in the adventure have been busy in their local communities over the last few months, working on ‘pay it forward’ environmental projects to ensure that not only they benefit from taking part in the expedition.

Allison has used her summer to join a local litter picking group in Llanelli where she has collected rubbish in key sites around the town. She is the youngest one by far but says she has been inspired by the others and modified her own behaviour since taking part, and made her friends consider their actions too.

The entire expedition is carbon neutral – the young adults planted over 100 native trees to offset carbon produced through flying to the start at Scouts HQ, Gilwell Park. All the kit they will wear, made especially by Craghoppers, is made from recycled plastic bottles and dyed using sustainable chemical-free practices. They will travel to Antarctica with Hurtigruten Expeditions on their hybrid ship MS Fridtjof Nansen – named the world’s most sustainable expedition vessel (by Scope ESG) and once onboard be taking part in real-time climate science, collecting samples and undertaking wildlife surveys as well as trying snowshoeing, kayaking, camping on ice and swimming in the Southern Ocean. The idea is that they will become ambassadors in their communities – some of the most deprived areas in Britain – for responsible adventuring and prove that anyone can be an explorer and make a difference. When they return, they will be mentored to ensure their new skills help bolster their CVs so that they have the best chance of getting employment and/or applying for further education.

“From over 700 nominations, we had the unenviable task of whittling them down to the final nine. It was not easy, but we are confident that the young people we have chosen will help us plant the seeds of change in their communities – and beyond. The ideas that they have implemented for improving their local communities in their ‘pay it forward’ pledges shows that this generation truly cares about making a positive change in their environment, and we can’t wait for them to see first-hand how important their work in their communities is for driving real change on the other side of the world.” said Phoebe Smith and Dwayne Fields, co-founders of the #WeTwo Foundation.

Anthony Daniels, General Manager UK and EMEA at Hurtigruten Expeditions, said, “It’s incredible to see the dedication of every entrant towards sustainability. You can truly see Allison’s passion to positively impact their local environment. We can’t wait for Allison and the other young explorers to join us onboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen, and with the help of our onboard Scientists and Expedition Team, realise how the actions in their local community will help to protect the world for the next generation.”

The #WeTwo Foundation was set up by adventurers Dwayne Fields and Phoebe Smith to change the face of adventure together and encourage the next generation from all walks of life to fall in love with the outdoors and look after our planet.

For more information about Hurtigruten Expeditions, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk, and to learn more about Team WeTwo, visit https://www.teamwetwo.com/.