Felicity Aston

Felicity's first 'expedition' involved being bribed up Helvellyn at the age of nine by her parents with a packet of Opal Fruits. The sense of achievement on reaching the top was slightly lost in the pouring rain but something about the experience must have stuck.

At the end of her first year reading Physics and Astronomy at University College London (UCL), Felicity joined a British Schools Exploring Society expedition to south-west Greenland. After spending 3 weeks mapping the archaeological remains of Viking settlements, her team was supposed to spend a week exploring Greenland's inland ice. They made it to the fringe of the ice-cap before having to turn back. Felicity remembers looking over her shoulder at the ice as they left and promising herself that one day she would make it over that white horizon.

Completing her first degree, Felicity went on to gain a Masters in Applied Meteorology from the University of Reading before being employed as a meteorologist with the British Antarctic Survey. Felicity spent two and a half continuous years in the Antarctic, living and working at Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula between 2000 and 2003. As well as monitoring ozone depletion and climate, her job involved looking after a small outpost and aviation re-fuelling depot during the austral summer. This meant that, at times, Felicity and a colleague were the only two people on an island roughly the size of Wales.

Since returning to the UK in 2004, Felicity has established herself as a freelance travel writer and professional speaker but she has continued to organise and lead her own expeditions. Felicity's projects have been awarded the Captain Scott Society 'Spirit of Adventure Award', the Wilderness Award and a Timberland 'Make it Better' Scholarship as well as earning support from the National Geographic Expeditions Council in the US and the Transglobe Expedition Trust. She has been made a Churchill Fellow by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and an honourary member of both The Commonwealth Club and Rotary International.

Felicity served for six years on the Council of the Young Explorer's Trust, the UK's national association of youth exploration societies - a national charity dedicated to promoting safe and responsible expeditions for young people, and currently sits on the Council of the British Exploring Society. Felicity also acts as an Ambassador for two inspiring organisations - the British Antarctic Monument Trust which aims to commemorate the achievements of the men and women whose scientific exploration in Antarctica has led to a new understanding of our planet, and to honour those amongst them who did not return - and Equaladventure which provides support for individuals and organisations striving towards inclusive participation in sport and adventure.