WORDS
Amy Raphael
You’ve been an explorer since 2011, when you were just 18. How tough was it to start at such a young age?
I had been excited by the idea of exploring since I was 15, but my parents weren’t explorers, nor were they in the military, both of which provide obvious entry points. I was a shy but fearless child who used to enjoy surprising people by doing adventurous things in the fields around our house. When I was 18, I responded to an advert in the paper: the Royal Geographical Society was looking for 10 young people to train up and take on quite an extreme trip. I was lucky enough to qualify and went on a 10-week Arctic expedition to Svalbard, in Norway.
And that trip gave you a taste for adventure?
Absolutely. I didn’t want it to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so I had to put myself in scenarios where I went on adventures with much more experienced explorers who were willing to take on a young woman who was keen to learn. Since my first Arctic trip to Svalbard, my biggest trip has been the Amazon Uncharted expedition in 2021, crossing the Kanuku Mountains of Guyana from east to west to explore pristine rainforest, which took a huge amount of preparation. I really enjoy the process of problem solving and taking calculated risks, which is almost an art form in itself. You have to think, ‘What could go wrong?’ Then, when you are in the field and you’ve done everything you can, you live in the moment. The rewards are huge.
You became a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society at just 23 and then the youngest council member of the Scientific Exploration Society. How did that feel?
The recognition gave me credibility and helped me progress. I’m not the type to shout from the rooftops and as a woman you need backing.
You give talks in schools. Is it part of your mission to get more young women exploring?
I like to share my perspective with schools and corporate companies. There are a lot of different ways of leading and hopefully I can broaden some horizons. I do think women are better suited for expeditions, because there’s no space for ego on these trips. We are more open minded, embrace being vulnerable and have empathy for our team mates. I’ve just got back from a trip to Iceland with 66ºNorth, a new outerwear store in London, and later this year I’m darting back to Svalbard and going to the Peruvian Amazon, but I am very focused on the fact that women are on the frontline of the climate emergency. At the end of January, I’m going to Somaliland with Nimko Ali, a British social activist of Somali heritage. The broader idea is that if we invest in women, we invest in the planet.
Do you feel optimistic about our future?
I’ve seen mountains melting and met people on the frontline of the changing climate, but I have to be optimistic. I don’t want to point fingers, but younger people and younger leaders are going to come through with a completely different mindset and different ideas. Their pockets aren’t filled with the same money.
Finally, what’s the story behind Barack Obama following you on Twitter?
Oh, that dates back to when I was still at school and lucky enough to go and do some work experience somewhere. It’s a story for another time…
