Jamaican to the South Pole Greg Williams trek into history

Williams, who is a part of the From Fire Too Ice Expedition was the lead doctor in the group; braving the steepest, coldest parts of Antarctica with his team.

Speaking exclusively to Loop News on Sunday, Williams explained what led him to participate in the daunting goal.

“I used to run London’s only burn service and looked after Rob Small, the Expedition Leader, when he was repatriated from Zanzibar with his severe burn,” he said.

“Several years later, Rob asked me to be the expedition doctor and how could I say no to such an epic opportunity?” Dr Williams asked.

“The Antarctica destination is Rob’s choice as it was something he had hoped to do before his injury and he wants to inspire other burn survivors to not let physical adversity stop them from achieving their dreams, goals and aspirations,” he asserted.

Understandably, Williams admitted that the trek could be disastrous.

“The expedition is unquestionably dangerous so it is important that each team memberknows what their responsibilities are, but also that the team functions as a cohesive unit, which is only as strong as the weakest link,” he told Loop News.

From the team’s arrival point at the Antarctic base camp at Union Glacier, the journey will traverse miles of enormous ice fields and glaciers, finally ascending to the polar plateau at almost 10,000 feet.

The wind will always be against them, providing a remorseless -50C wind-chill.

Should they be successful over the 31-day period, the group would have walked over 180 kilometres, in average temperatures hovering below -21.9C before ending the expedition in January 2017.

“Although the expedition is ‘unsupported’ i.e. no dogs, snowmobiles or mobile support teams, we will have satellite phones with the ability to call for help and emergency evacuation if required and the weather permits,” noted Williams.

“My Jamaican friends and family all know and are supportive. I am the only Jamaican on the team and, as far as I know, I’ll be the first Jamaican to walk to the South Pole,” he said.

Williams, who left Jamaica in 1992, furthered his medical career in London, gaining a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) degree – then specialising as a plastic surgeon.

“I was born and bred in Kingston and got my medical degree from UWI,” he noted.

Already, the team have begun a series of training exercises, to acclimatise to the unforgiving and bitterly cold conditions Antarctica will dish out.

“I have just returned from a training expedition in Finse, Norway where the temperature dropped to -26 degrees Celsius without the wind chill factor!” he exclaimed.

“We needed to learn to function as a team, setting up camp with tents, sleeping, cooking and trekking in an environment where mistakes can cost you your life and where hypothermia and frostbite are constant risks,” he continued.

“We obviously need to be physically fit so regular gym workouts are essential. We will have other training expeditions between now and our departure date to continue to hone our skills and we will also have to acclimatise to the altitude in Antarctica before starting our trek,” Dr Williams told Loop News.

Dr Williams is also the medical trustee on the Dan’s Fund For Burns (DFFB), a UK-based charity that helps people in financial need after a burn injury.

Rob Small, a beneficiary himself, wants to give back to the charity as the group aims to raise £250,000 to fund a DFFB-led national burn survivor peer support network, which currently doesn’t exist in the UK.

Below, are highlights of the team’s training expedition in Finse, Norway, courtesy of From Fire To Ice’s Facebook page.