Alumni News April 2021

Bridget Kruger

After 12 years abroad, Bridget (Inspiring Explorer 2018) has returned home to Queensland, Australia and created a women’s empowerment and adventure retreat business that, since COVID-19, she has transitioned into online programmes and in-person meetings within her home state. She is also heavily involved in raising awareness around sexual assault and is creating nature-based programmes that help victims through this journey. Bridget is also training to compete at the world championships in outrigging canoeing/Waka Ama.

Caitlin Wright

Young Inspiring Explorer (2020) Caitlin was awarded the 2020 Community Spirit Award by her school.

Charlotte Blake

In April, Charlotte (Young Inspiring Explorer 2020) represented Canterbury at the National Interprovincial Age Group Athletics Championships, and was named Overall National Girls Interprovincial Age Group Champion.

Adam Blake

David Harrowfield

David (polar historian and inaugural Trust Executive Officer) is currently working on writing his memoirs. In addition to personal reminiscences about his time with the Trust, David plans to include interesting information that never made its way into official reports or other publications. This will be compiled with memoirs on his university field work.

Geoff Cooper

In addition to his role as UKAHT Heritage Programme Manager, Geoff (Heritage Carpenter 2016-2017) has been spending time on other heritage projects, including conservation carpentry work repairing historic timber framed buildings in Suffolk. Over the last five months Geoff has been working on an early 15th century timber framed former pub which was extensively damaged by a thatch fire.

Isobel Ewing

After a move back to New Zealand, Isobel (Inspiring Explorer 2017 and inaugural Governance Intern) settled in Wanaka in January and has taken up a reporter role with independent news organisation Crux. She is excited to help build a sustainable local news model and also spend plenty oftime out in the backcountry.

Isobel spent 2020 in Budapest working as a TV correspondent for global broadcasting agency Feature Story News. She arrived in Hungary as Covid-19 began to take hold in China, and her role became dominated by reporting on the virus, including a stint at the World Health Organisation in Geneva in February as the global health crisis unfolded.

Leah Stewart

Inspiring Explorer Leah (2019) recently competed in her first National Championships for cross country mountain biking, finishing fourth. She has also founded a support group called Kidney Donor Whānau with support from Kidney Health New Zealand, to provide donor to donor peer support for living kidney donors and those interested in donation in New Zealand.

Leah has also spent time volunteering at the Outward Bound School of New Zealand on their adapted courses for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. She recently got engaged to her partner Jordan, whom she met on an Outward Bound course.

Mark Adams

A lot of the conservation work Mark has undertaken since his time on the Ice working on Discovery Hut (2013-14) has been restoring huts, tin sheds, and wooden granaries. Two current projects include repairing a roof that was blown off a boat house beside a loch in the far north of Scotland, and to stabilise an old tin school house, restore the exterior, and make a new entrance for the barn owls living in the roof.

Mike Dawson

In March, Mike (Inspiring Explorer Expedition mentor 2019 and 2020 and Governance Intern) completed the GODZone multi-day, non-stop, adventure race for teams. Mike said it was an amazing challenge and a great test of mental fortitude to race for six and half days through some of the North Island of New Zealand’s most gruelling and rugged terrain. The race involves 666km of biking, trekking, kayaking and pack rafting. “When you’re racing that long without sleep it’s vital to take each stage minute by minute,” said Mike.