To [name of editor]
From [name of person sending the press release] Date 12/10/01
Re Press release, for immediate release [if sending in advance, write “… for release on (date)]
Disabled Explorer to Kayak off Coast of Antarctica
Disabled explorer Glenn Shaw is all set to fulfil a lifetime ambition – to kayak off the coast of Antarctica. By anyone’s standards an ambitious project, the single detail that makes this venture all the more remarkable is that, when he is not in his kayak, Glenn is confined to a wheelchair (or “snowmobile”, as Glenn calls his custom-built vehicle).
Glenn suffers from a medical condition known as “brittle bones”. He knows that the slightest knock can result in a broken limb. A simple fall might kill him outright. But Glenn is an adventurer, and treats his physical handicap as simply one more difficulty to be overcome.
Glenn is drawing up his expedition plans with the assistance of former British Antarctic Survey Base Commander, Paul Rose. His support vessel is being operated by seasoned Antarctican Greg Mortimer, the first Australian to climb Everest and K2.
Glenn will be setting out for the frozen continent in December. He hopes to take to the (rather chilly) waters around Antarctica at Christmas. Glenn is also planning to camp on the Antarctic Peninsula during the course of the expedition. He will be posting regular updates at www.glennshaw.com before and during the voyage.
“I’ve wanted to kayak among the penguins for years,” Glenn enthuses. “Now, thanks to a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship, I have been able to turn my dream into reality.”
Glenn’s previous adventures have included a trek in the Himalaya, four attempts to cross Canada’s Continental Divide using huskies, and a solo canoe voyage through British Columbia and Alberta. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), Glenn is a past recipient of a ski scholarship from the American National Sports Centre for the Disabled. He has also worked with Brunel University’s Research and Development Team to test and develop kayaking equipment for fellow disabled explorers.
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For more information or an interview, call [telephone number], or email: [email address]
For details of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust: tel: +44 20 7584 9315, website: www.wcmt.org.uk