|Born||Liv Ragnheim Arnesen
Liv Ragnheim Arnesen (born June 1, 1953) is a Norwegian educator, cross-country skier, adventurer, guide, and motivational speaker. Arnesen led the first unsupported women’s crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap in 1992. In 1994, she made international headlines becoming the first woman in the world to ski solo and unsupported to the South pole. – a 50-day expedition of 745 miles (1,200 km).
Arnesen grew up in Bærum, Norway on the outskirts of Oslo where at an early age, her parents immersed her in their passions: cross-country skiing and polar history. At an early age, Arnesen acquired her taste for the great wide open spaces while spending winters and Easter holidays in the Norwegian mountains]. Her love of athletics and the outdoors eventually led Arnesen to compete in orienteering and cross-country skiing, as well as to coach high school students in advanced-level cross-country skiing. At the age of 9, Liv read about Roald Amundsen’s expedition to the South Pole [].
In 1992, Liv took part in a team which became the first all-woman team to make an unsupported crossing of the Greenland icecap.
South Pole 1994
In her book ‘Good Girls do not Ski to the South Pole’, Liv details her first solo-encounter with the Antarctic. Without support, Liv skied 745 miles and reached the South Pole in 50 days.
Mount Everest, North Ridge 1996
In 1996, Arnesen attempted to reach the top of Mount Everest but had to retreat as she developed incipient high altitude cerebral edema.
Arctic Ocean 2005
In 2005, following 2 years of preparation, Bancroft and Arnesen embarked on an attempt to make history as the first women to ski across the Arctic Ocean. Due to bureaucracy, all Arctic expeditions of 2005 were forced to evacuate the Arctic Ocean and forgo their dreams.
Arctic Ocean 2007
On March 12, the BAE team was forced to abandon Arctic Ocean 2007, a 530-mile (853-kilometer) unsupported slog to the North Pole. Bancroft and Arnesen hoped to use their expedition to teach children around the world about climate change, but spring temperatures weren't cooperating.
Arnesen and Bancroft are currently planning an international expedition of women to the South Pole. Both will return to Antarctica, compelled by global challenges and the access they have to millions of schoolchildren around the world, thanks to past expeditions. Their goal is to reach 50 million children, talking about the freshwater crisis.