Help Kate support Paulina's South Pole Expedition!
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Hi Friends, Kate Walsh here! I want you to meet Paulina Villalonga, who’ll be walking 60 miles to the South Pole to support the 2041 Climate Force for the preservation of Antarctica & the fight against climate change.
She’ll walk through the ‘last degree’ in the harshest of environments, surviving on renewable energy and a vegan diet as the first and youngest Mexican, first vegan, and one of the few women to have made this incredible trek!
Check out the link in bio and tune into our Live to find out how you can help me support Paulina’s expedition. She has raised $40K out of her $80K goal, and needs your help to make the trip
Any amount, big or small, will help make a huge difference!
You can find out more about her mission from her YouTube Video , or at her site IceWarrior.net
More from Paulina Below ❤️
MY MISSION
In January 2020, I will spend 12 days walking the ‘Last Degree’ to the Geographic South Pole alongside Robert Swan (OBE, FRGS) and an international team of ten people. Removing myself from my privileged world, I will immerse myself in one of the harshest and most humbling environments on earth, surviving solely on renewable energy, a vegan diet, and a commitment to a cause that goes beyond my own existence: the fight against climate change and the preservation of Antarctica. I intend that my journey will inspire my peers or people of my own age to commit to everyday solutions to make our world more sustainable.
My journey to the South Pole is just one way in which I want to contribute to a cause I am passionate about. Using renewable energy in the most challenging of conditions will help to show the viability of this technology in all manner of environments. I also hope to demonstrate the potential of veganism within the most extreme of journeys, one that requires both mental and physical endurance, challenging any misconceptions there may be about what can and cannot be achieved through a plant-based diet. Eating sustainably and mindfully is not only healthy for us as individuals, but also for the future of the planet. I hope for a world with less hunger, fewer natural disasters, and greater longevity for all. Walking to the South Pole is just one way in which I hope to bring meaning into this world, aspiring to inspire and encouraging young people around the globe to chase their dreams and find meaning within the natural world.
MY STORY
For most of my childhood, I felt trapped by insecurity, doubt and a sense of powerlessness. There was a void and a feeling of emptiness which the materialism of my world could not satisfy. Always searching for more, new experiences would never satiate me. Eventually, I was unrecognizable, even to myself.
That was until the day I discovered Robert Swan who refers to himself as “the first man in the history of earth stupid enough to walk to both Poles”. Before I had even met him in person, he showed me the potential to be powerful and brave, despite any feelings of doubt. His journey awakened my feelings of excitement and purpose. Impulsively, I wrote to him, never imagining that seven months later I would be lucky enough to be chosen to join him on his 2018 Climate Force Expedition, braving the incredible waves of the Drake Passage en route to the southernmost and most magical place on earth: Antarctica.
My journey dropped me into the magical world to which I was transported as a child reading about Shackleton’s exhilarating adventures. The continent’s unparalleled vastness, mystery and beauty made me feel curious, excited and unencumbered. However, with this sense of peace came a new challenge. As a gregarious, exuberant teenager, I’m often the one leading discussions. With my family, I had grown so used to mediating, I was rarely quiet. Being surrounded by people far wiser than I, isolated in what Sir Robert Swan calls “the last wild continent…a place that has never experienced war,” inspired me to listen. Antarctica, spoke to me and I listened. Soon after, I reflected on my vicious cycle of living virtually, of consuming and of how I limited myself to instant gratification and realized that I had become oblivious to the value of nature and the value of what goes beyond the physical. I believe that this is a realization many girls around the world still need to make. When one sees something so untouched yet so threatened, so simple yet so beautiful as Antartica – nature in its pure state – one is compelled to do everything in ones ability to protect it. I found myself again by dedicating my time to a cause that went beyond my own existence: climate change and the preservation of Antarctica.
I therefore decided to go to the Arctic the place that is most vulnerable to climate change. After a long battle with fundraising and finding the time to balance my studies, I eventually made it to the top of the world on another climate change expedition which was carbon negative. Despite uncovering new wonders and secrets from the beauty of the Arctic, there, I also felt my inspiration fleeing rapidly. The devastating conditions of the sea ice and permafrost made me lose hope and as I witnessed the ice caps melt before my eyes a huge feeling of guilt that had been accumulating over a very long time suddenly arose because I realized I wasn’t doing enough. Calling yourself an environmentalist to make yourself feel better is not really being an environmentalist. I now knew I had to become one.
I told myself it was no longer time to await the inconvenient truth but instead to uncover convenient solutions. Robert Swan personally challenged me to walk to the South pole. I accepted to hike nearly 100 miles in -40 degrees. Its the toughest thing I could ever imagine doing. But that is nothing compared to feeling lost and feeling hopeless. Looking back at at who I used to be and the struggles I was trapped in as a teenager, this old life of mine at the time seemed impossible to overcome. Yet I beat all the odds. Through this adventure I will chase my dreams, achieve the impossible and form a story that will inspire girls to do the same as we all collectively work towards a sustainable future. And I have hope that as a planet we will also achieve what sometimes seems impossible: combating climate change. If I am able to overcome the biggest challenge of walking to the pole at minus forty degrees surviving only off of sustainable energy and eco friendly products then is possible for anyone to do the same. I hope that my insane adventure will help more girls around the world be more sustainable with their habits and choices.
She’ll walk through the ‘last degree’ in the harshest of environments, surviving on renewable energy and a vegan diet as the first and youngest Mexican, first vegan, and one of the few women to have made this incredible trek!
Check out the link in bio and tune into our Live to find out how you can help me support Paulina’s expedition. She has raised $40K out of her $80K goal, and needs your help to make the trip
Any amount, big or small, will help make a huge difference!
You can find out more about her mission from her YouTube Video , or at her site IceWarrior.net
More from Paulina Below ❤️
MY MISSION
In January 2020, I will spend 12 days walking the ‘Last Degree’ to the Geographic South Pole alongside Robert Swan (OBE, FRGS) and an international team of ten people. Removing myself from my privileged world, I will immerse myself in one of the harshest and most humbling environments on earth, surviving solely on renewable energy, a vegan diet, and a commitment to a cause that goes beyond my own existence: the fight against climate change and the preservation of Antarctica. I intend that my journey will inspire my peers or people of my own age to commit to everyday solutions to make our world more sustainable.
My journey to the South Pole is just one way in which I want to contribute to a cause I am passionate about. Using renewable energy in the most challenging of conditions will help to show the viability of this technology in all manner of environments. I also hope to demonstrate the potential of veganism within the most extreme of journeys, one that requires both mental and physical endurance, challenging any misconceptions there may be about what can and cannot be achieved through a plant-based diet. Eating sustainably and mindfully is not only healthy for us as individuals, but also for the future of the planet. I hope for a world with less hunger, fewer natural disasters, and greater longevity for all. Walking to the South Pole is just one way in which I hope to bring meaning into this world, aspiring to inspire and encouraging young people around the globe to chase their dreams and find meaning within the natural world.
MY STORY
For most of my childhood, I felt trapped by insecurity, doubt and a sense of powerlessness. There was a void and a feeling of emptiness which the materialism of my world could not satisfy. Always searching for more, new experiences would never satiate me. Eventually, I was unrecognizable, even to myself.
That was until the day I discovered Robert Swan who refers to himself as “the first man in the history of earth stupid enough to walk to both Poles”. Before I had even met him in person, he showed me the potential to be powerful and brave, despite any feelings of doubt. His journey awakened my feelings of excitement and purpose. Impulsively, I wrote to him, never imagining that seven months later I would be lucky enough to be chosen to join him on his 2018 Climate Force Expedition, braving the incredible waves of the Drake Passage en route to the southernmost and most magical place on earth: Antarctica.
My journey dropped me into the magical world to which I was transported as a child reading about Shackleton’s exhilarating adventures. The continent’s unparalleled vastness, mystery and beauty made me feel curious, excited and unencumbered. However, with this sense of peace came a new challenge. As a gregarious, exuberant teenager, I’m often the one leading discussions. With my family, I had grown so used to mediating, I was rarely quiet. Being surrounded by people far wiser than I, isolated in what Sir Robert Swan calls “the last wild continent…a place that has never experienced war,” inspired me to listen. Antarctica, spoke to me and I listened. Soon after, I reflected on my vicious cycle of living virtually, of consuming and of how I limited myself to instant gratification and realized that I had become oblivious to the value of nature and the value of what goes beyond the physical. I believe that this is a realization many girls around the world still need to make. When one sees something so untouched yet so threatened, so simple yet so beautiful as Antartica – nature in its pure state – one is compelled to do everything in ones ability to protect it. I found myself again by dedicating my time to a cause that went beyond my own existence: climate change and the preservation of Antarctica.
I therefore decided to go to the Arctic the place that is most vulnerable to climate change. After a long battle with fundraising and finding the time to balance my studies, I eventually made it to the top of the world on another climate change expedition which was carbon negative. Despite uncovering new wonders and secrets from the beauty of the Arctic, there, I also felt my inspiration fleeing rapidly. The devastating conditions of the sea ice and permafrost made me lose hope and as I witnessed the ice caps melt before my eyes a huge feeling of guilt that had been accumulating over a very long time suddenly arose because I realized I wasn’t doing enough. Calling yourself an environmentalist to make yourself feel better is not really being an environmentalist. I now knew I had to become one.
I told myself it was no longer time to await the inconvenient truth but instead to uncover convenient solutions. Robert Swan personally challenged me to walk to the South pole. I accepted to hike nearly 100 miles in -40 degrees. Its the toughest thing I could ever imagine doing. But that is nothing compared to feeling lost and feeling hopeless. Looking back at at who I used to be and the struggles I was trapped in as a teenager, this old life of mine at the time seemed impossible to overcome. Yet I beat all the odds. Through this adventure I will chase my dreams, achieve the impossible and form a story that will inspire girls to do the same as we all collectively work towards a sustainable future. And I have hope that as a planet we will also achieve what sometimes seems impossible: combating climate change. If I am able to overcome the biggest challenge of walking to the pole at minus forty degrees surviving only off of sustainable energy and eco friendly products then is possible for anyone to do the same. I hope that my insane adventure will help more girls around the world be more sustainable with their habits and choices.
Organizer
Paulina Villalonga
Organizer
Beverly Hills, CA