Maria Leijerstam is a Welsh British polar adventurer and a Wales 2016 Year of Adventure ambassador. She was the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent in 2013.

Leijerstam started her expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf at the edge of the Antarctic continent. She cycled for 10hrs to 17hrs each day with no rest days, and the total distance cycled was 638 km (396 mi).

Leijerstam cycled a uniquely designed, three wheeled Polar Cycle, a modernised form of polar travel, demonstrating that cycling can be more efficient than skiing to the South Pole.

Show notes

Why she doesn’t call herself an explorer
Growing up and wanting to be an astronaut
Her childhood
Getting into more extreme adventures
Always living in a mans world
Joining the Officer Training Corps
Learning how to look after herself
How she started her journey into adventure
Doing the Marathon des Sables!
The lead up to the race, dealing with nerves and preparing her body for the heat
Knowing how your body responds during a challenge
Learning how to manage pain
Why you put your body through the extreme challenges?
Being the 200th person to ever reach the South Pole
Doing an adventure race & what she loves about it
The last wild race in Patagonia
Handling team dynamics during adventure races
When races fall apart…
Dealing with discomfort and managing your pain
Colour therapy
4 years preparation to get to the South Pole
Testing out equipment and figuring out what was going to work
£100,000 needed to do the expedition and how she paid for it
Dealing with rejection
Getting onto the ice and the relief she felt
What she leant from the experience of planning and doing the polar expedition
Coming home and returning to Wales
Future goals and plans
Being a mother of 2 and how she fits fitness into her life

Maria Leijerstam is a Welsh British polar adventurer who was the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent in 2013