The arctic explorer captivates the audience at this year's SIBEC Europe with lessons learned from his treacherous expedition to the Geographic North Pole
Chambers and his team suffered near starvation battling extreme polar weather conditions in 2000
Former Royal Marine turned extreme explorer Alan Chambers recently addressed a captivated audience at SIBEC Europe, held this year in Marrakech, Morocco.
His keynote presentation, which opened proceedings on day one of the event, detailed his polar expedition from Canada to the Geographic North Pole, leading the first British team to complete the journey without support services.
The 672 nautical mile walk on ice lasted a gruelling 70 days, during which time he lost three stone and was living on 300 calories a day, but burning 14,000.
Suffering near starvation, with a dwindling fuel supply and experiencing the worst polar weather conditions recorded in 100 years, Chambers' team achieved what many said was impossible. It demanded an extraordinary level of commitment, focus and teamwork, for which Alan was awarded an MBE.
Chambers said the emphasis was on travelling light and the team constantly worked to shed anything from their kit which could reduce its weight, including removing the toggles from the ends of their shoe laces!
Many SIBEC delegates reported that they took away many key learnings from Chambers' amazing account of his challenge.
PASSION AND ATTITUDE • Attitude wins over experience. A member of your team may have all the right skills, but if they don’t have the right attitude or passion for the project, they’ll never achieve what they set out to do. The wrong mindset has the potential to break a team, not just the individual.
• The importance of meticulous planning should never be underestimated. Being aware of all the variables and scenario planning for every eventuality prepares your team’s mindset and empowers them to work with the unexpected.
• Break down one big project into several mini projects. This makes the challenge facing you both manageable and achievable, whilst maintaining your team’s motivation, as they succeed through the phases.
• Question conventional thinking. Don’t keep doing the same things in the same way and expect different results. It’s important to keep thinking, keep innovating and making changes, no matter how small, in order to get the desired result.
• Make the time to talk. Chambers coined this as "tent time", where he would get his team together to talk and work collaboratively through difficulties to find solutions. He also took the time to talk to everyone individually to increase his understanding, so he could effectively support them through the challenge.
Chambers left the audience thinking about his personal mantra, O.P.E.R.A, which stands for "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Results Achieved".
Since the completion of that expedition on 16 May 2000, Chambers has been back to the North Pole 15 times and has never failed. With meticulous preparation, a questioning mindset, constant adaption and innovation and a driven team, he always believed he would succeed.
Chambers says meticulous planning
is always essential
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
