CIMA member goes pole to pole for charity

Business experience helps raise cash for long-held dream. By Tim Cooper, editor email newsletters, CIMA.

Picture caption: 'Chill your boots' - Kordula prepares for polar challenge.

The UK has just had one of the coldest Novembers of recent years. But that’s not chilly enough for CIMA member Wincent Kordula. This member in practice will be forsaking his job at Business Link Nottinghamshire to travel to the North and South Poles during 2006.

Since childhood Wincent, aged 39, has dreamed of travel and adventure, setting his sights on visiting every continent. So far he has managed them all – except for Antarctica.

Vital experience

The trip to the North Pole will be in April next year, followed by a South Pole expedition in December. Wincent has been busy raising sponsorship for a variety of charities, including the National Osteoporosis Society. He said the business skills he acquired with the CIMA qualification have been a great help in financing the expedition and raising sponsorship. ‘Because of my background and qualification I have a good network of business contacts and experience of working in industry. Both have been very useful and, in fact, have been the foundation I have built this expedition on.’

Polar explorer Mike Thornewill will lead the team during the North Pole trek in April 2006. His wife, polar record holder Fiona Thornewill will lead the December trek to the South Pole. Both hope the challenges will raise thousands of pounds for charity.

Shackleton remembered

Organised by Polar Challenge International, the Antarctic expedition will commemorate Sir Ernest Shackleton’s unfinished journey. In 1907 Shackleton mounted the first significant attempt to reach the South Pole, but was forced to turn back 112 miles away from victory. He later told his wife that he thought she would prefer ‘a live donkey to a dead lion’.

By the time Wincent sets off on the Antarctica trek he will already have completed his 70-mile challenge to the North Pole. ‘Ten times as many people have stood on the summit of Mount Everest as have walked to the geographic North Pole,’ he said. ‘It is an exciting undertaking. The challenge will satisfy a long-held dream. But more importantly it will help to highlight the issues surrounding osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis.’

Living under canvas, travelling on skis and towing heavy sledges of supplies, the team will cross enormous ice fields and glaciers, finally ascending to the polar plateau at 10,000ft.

Stephanie Bailey, events fundraiser for the National Osteoporosis Society, said: ‘It is wonderful that Wincent will be raising funds to help those living with osteoporosis by taking part in this momentous challenge. We are extremely grateful to him and wish him the best of luck.’

To sponsor Wincent contact him on 07715 772372 or email wincent.kordula@btconnect.com. To follow the polar challenges go to polar challenge website. 

December 2005