The Long White Night

On the 17th of January 2008, Alex Harris became one of the first two South Africans to walk unsupported and unassisted to the South Pole. It was a journey that took 65 days and covered almost 1200km. It was, in Alex's words, ‘the hardest thing he had ever done'.

This was a journey in the same league as Shackleton's or Scotts expeditions. No expedition to the South Pole is easy, however, to do it unsupported and unassisted meant undertaking what is arguably the most grueling thing a human could do. 

Since Alex was a child he has been exploring the hills and valleys of his neighbourhood, and then later, the mountains and remote corners of the world. In January of 1996, Alex resigned from a career in sales, and followed his passion for exploration. Alex is best known for his numerous expeditions to Everest and his climbing of the seven summits, the highest mountain on all seven continents. However, Alex was not content to just climb mountains. ‘The long white night' is Alex's account of walking to the South Pole.

For 65 days Alex endured winds of up to 80 km/hr and temperatures of -40 C. Carrying sleds of 130kgs, Alex Harris and his partner had to cover 20 kilometers every day if they were to stand any chance of reaching the Pole before their food ran out. To further complicate this already daunting task, Alex broke one of his skis on day 6. Alex also had the inside of his left thigh frostbitten by high winds.

Finally, just when they thought they were on top of things, the largest front of the century settled over Antarctica and it snowed for 9 days. Whiteout conditions prevailed, where visibility was zero and thick snow made it almost impossible to achieve their daily distance. Yet somehow they managed to stick it through and arrive safely at the South Pole.

Tough journeys are a part of everyone's life, whether it's a trip up Kilimanjaro, a seemingly unattainable sales target, or uncertainly in our careers. We all face them, and we all have the ability to come through them. But it takes intention and a set of characteristics that require hard work and don't come about by chance.

Alex's talk looks at the fundamental need to plan and prepare. To fully understand the environment you are going to operate in. Alex discusses the critical need to set realistic goals. 1200km on skis seemed an impossible journey, but when it was broken down into degrees of latitude, days and a time, and even one hour to the next, it became possible.

It's the samefor all of us. Sometimes the goal is so daunting that it wears us down just thinking about it. The trick is to distract yourself with the manageable tasks that occur daily, but to understand the power in these seemingly insignificant steps. We only got to the Pole by taking it one step at a time, and then combining them day after day after day.

Alex Harris talks about the need to have a sense of purpose in our lives. One of the most profound sensations after getting to the Pole, was the flight back. For six hours Alex stared out the window at the snow below, trying to see some trace of their passing or a sign of how they had suffered. But there was nothing. Their tracks had been blown away by the wind or covered over with snow. In a sense, this can be our lives if we are not intentional, gone like a vapor.

Alex closes by discussing the deep and profound need all of us have to make a mark. To feel like our lives have counted for something. This is where purpose comes in. When we begin to have a sense of purpose in our lives, we become more intentional and consequently more effective. Not only do our lives benefit, but our teams do and so do our organizations.

Effective people make excellent people, and all of us were made with the capacity to be excellent!

WHAT DO CLIENTS SAY?
"Alex Harris will enthrall any audience with his stories of conquering challenges. His integrity and authenticity make him all the more captivating. Most definitely the best motivational speaker I have ever encountered. You are in for a treat - but then I am an unashamed "Alex Harris" groupie." - Bernard Swanepoel, CEO Harmony Gold

"Your presentation was the perfect opener for our Alumni function...they found it very exciting and inspirational." - Andrew Waller, Partner in charge - Deloitte & Touche

"The majority feedback from our staff is that they feel you are a fantastic speaker, you kept our attention and certainly I am sure you have inspired some of our staff to follow through on their own dreams, be it work or personal and aspire to their own heights." - Sulveigh Ho, Intravel Manager - Flight Centre

"Alex Harris was extremely professional, passionate about his experiences and very motivational in his presentation. Our members found him interesting to listen to and were very impressed with his attitude towards the achieving of success." - Richard Saxby, Managing Director - Murray and Roberts Civils

Professional Speaker / Motivational Speaker / Conference Speaker