Explorer
& author
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham Fiennes was born in
l944 and educated at Eton. He served with the Royal
Scots Greys for a time before joining the SAS. In
l968 he joined the Army of the Sultan of Oman and
in l970 was awarded the Sultan's Bravery Medal.
Since
l969 when he led the British Expedition on the
White Nile, Ranulph Fiennes has been at the forefront
of many exploratory expeditions. Described in
l984 as the `World's Greatest Living Explorer'
by the Guinness Book of Records, his expeditions
around the world include Transglobe (the first
surface journey around the world's polar axis)
l979-82; North Polar Unsupported Expedition (furthest
North unsupported record) l986; Anglo Soviet North
Pole Expedition l990-91; Co-leader of the Ubar
Expedition (which in l991 discovered Ptolemy's
lost Atlantis of the Sands, the frankincense centre
of the world); leader of the Pentland South Pole
Expedition (which achieved the first unsupported
crossing of the Antarctic Continent and the longest
unsupported polar journey in history) l992-93.
Sir Ranulph's expeditions have raised millions
for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, which has
enabled the building of Europe's first MS Research
Centre in Cambridge. In l993 he was awarded an
OBE for `human endeavour and charitable services'.
Sir Ranulph is also the author of several books
including his autobiography Living Dangerously,
The Feather Men (UK Number One Bestseller), Atlantis
of the Sands, Mind Over Matter, a harrowing account
of an expedition, Beyond the Limits, his novel
The Sett, Fit For Life and his latest publication,
Captain Scott, the best-selling biography of 2003.
Sir Ranulph is the only explorer to receive a
double clasp Polar Medal acknowledging both Arctic
and Antarctic achievements. He was awarded the
second clasp by Her Majesty the Queen on 14th
December 1995. In 1996 Sir Ranulph embarked on
one of the world's last great unconquered challenges
- to cross the whole of the Antarctic unsupported
and single handed: The Dyson Antarctica Solo raising
huge sums for the charity Breakthrough.
In 2003 the world famous explorer suffered a heart
attack, not while on expedition, simply while
sitting on an aeroplane reading the in-flight
magazine. Following his recovery Sir Ranulph joined
up with the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Healthy
Hearts’ scheme of which he is now President.
His first big charity fundraiser was the 7x7x7
challenge, seven marathons in seven days across
seven different countries. He also competed in
the Flora London Marathon on 18th April 2004.
March 2005 saw him flying to Kathmandu in preparation
for another extreme challenge, to climb the more
difficult Northern route on Everest and raise
£2 million to help the British Heart Foundation
save the lives of children and young adults. He
came very close to succeeding the ascent in June
but had to turn back at over 8500 metres due to
breathing difficulties and his lungs being compromised
by the extreme altitude and extensive reliance
on oxygen.
After motivating, amusing and thrilling some 500
professional and business groups around the world,
he is now ranked as among the world's greatest
speakers.
HRH Prince Charles said of him "My admiration
for Ran is unbounded, and thank God he exists.
The world would be a far duller place without
him..."
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