TORONTO – An Australian veterinarian aiming to increase breast cancer awareness in young women has come home after he finished his solo crossing of Antarctica with a custom-built pink sled molded in the shape of his wife’s bust.
“Mentally they were a companion,” said Geoff Wilson after he was greeted by supporters in Australia Thursday.
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Wilson, 43, was inspired to set out on a grueling crossing of Antarctica in November after his close friend, journalist Kate Carlyle was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.
By trekking and skiing, Wilson’s “Pink Polar Expedition” took 53 days and over 3,428.53 km. Wilson has previously completed crossings of the Sahara and Simpson Deserts in Australia.
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He is the first Australian to cross Antarctica from coast to coast, unsupported and on his own and is the world’s 7th person to do an unassisted traverse of what is known to be one of the planet’s toughest environments.
The country’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott praised Wilson’s achievement.
“You didn’t do it for personal glory, you did it for a cause. On behalf of every Australian, I congratulate you on this extraordinary, amazing effort,” he said in a video message.
To date, Wilson has raised over $200,000 for the McGrath Foundation.
“It is the inner man or woman that allows us to leave the safety of our comfort zone, embark on adventures and survive,” said Wilson’s donation page.
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