Explorers Inspire Christchurch Students
As 85 year 12 students gathered in Christchurch’s Te Pae to hear from world-class speakers, the message was clear: Get out of your comfort zone.
Antarctic Heritage Trust’s first ever Christchurch Explorer Conference was held on Wednesday, June 18, bustling with students from 10 schools.
The event was opened by Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger and students heard from a range of inspiring explorers, including keynote speaker and world record sailor Lisa Blair, inspirational speaker William Pike and best-selling author Jake Bailey.
Antarctic Heritage Trust Executive Director Francesca Eathorne said the goal of the conference was to help young people unlock their ‘Explorer Mindset’ and inspire them to step outside their comfort zone.
“We had an awesome line up of speakers and workshop leaders. All have explored the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic regions, either on their own or with the Trust. Many have overcome big challenges, and each are passionate about inspiring the next generation of explorers. As well as hearing these inspiring stories first hand, students were able to take part in workshops exploring the key qualities you need to grow confidence and face the unknown, just like Antarctica’s earliest explorers. We call this an ‘Explorer Mindset.”
Keynote speaker Lisa Blair, who holds eight world records for her solo sailing achievements including being the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica, said the conference represented an invaluable opportunity for young people.
“When you set off into the unknown there will always be doubters, so it’s important to be able to believe in yourself. I wouldn’t have survived sailing through the Southern Ocean if I didn’t have the right mindset. My message to the students is it’s amazing what you can achieve if you believe in yourself enough to take that first step.”
William Pike, who lost his right leg in the 2007 Mount Ruapehu volcanic eruption and now leads the William Pike Challenge youth development programme, delivered in over 125 schools across Aotearoa, said the conference was an opportunity for students to unlock confidence and step outside their comfort zones.
“Life throws challenges at us—often out of the blue. But every time you step outside your comfort zone, you unlock new confidence and discover you’re capable of more than you ever imagined. That’s how you grow, that’s how you lead, and that’s how you build resilience for whatever comes next.”
Master of Ceremonies Jake Bailey, who became New Zealand’s youngest number one best-selling author after his own journey with cancer diagnosis at 18, spoke to the students about the importance of believing in themselves.
“Resilience isn’t something you’re born with – it’s a skill you can develop,” Bailey said.
“This conference was about showing students that they have the capacity to learn and build the skills required to tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.”
The workshops were led by recent Inspiring Explorers™ including data scientist Jenny Sahng, bird lover and artist Charlie Thomas, expedition guide-in-training and White Island survivor Kelsey Waghorn, linguist Lawrence Rothwell, and learning advisor Georgie Archibald.
Students also participated in a walking tour of Antarctic sites in central Christchurch, celebrating the city’s status as one of five Antarctic Gateway Cities globally. The tour visited the statue of Robert Falcon Scott, a sculpture inspired by Roald Amundsen, an Antarctic mural, and Adventure Books to see special artefacts from the heroic era of Antarctic exploration.
