Pole to Pole: One man, 20 million steps

Description

In a feat that ranks with the brave and inspiring deeds of Scott of the Antarctic, Sir Edmund Hillary and Jessica Watson, famed Australian ultramarathon runner Pat Farmer did what no human has ever done: run from the North Pole to South Pole. His mission: to raise money for the Red Cross to fund water projects in the world's neediest regions. Setting out from the North Pole in April 2011, Farmer ran 21,000 kilometres through 14 countries including Canada, the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia and Chile. In the run, which took him nearly a year to complete, he averaged an incredible 85 km a day - that's two marathons every day, with no days off. On his epic adventure, Farmer faced freezing cold, polar bears and ice crevasses; searing heat and rattlesnakes; guerrillas, drug cartels and killer highway traffic; humidity and dangerous wildlife; and the stamina-sapping high altitudes of the Andes. He suffered injuries, collisions and saw first-hand the brutality of life in some of the most dangerous places on earth. He cheated death time and again. The raw and honest chronicle of Pat Farmer's run from Pole to Pole is a deeply personal diary accompanied by stunning photography. Share in Farmer's triumphs, challenges and despair as he runs and runs and runs from one end of the earth to the other.

Pat Farmer commenced his passion of ultra-marathon running while working as a motor mechanic in the late-1970s. In 1992 he married Lisa Bullivant and they bought land in Catherine Field, where they began building their family home. They went on to have two children, Brooke and Dillon. In 1998, Lisa, aged 34, died unexpectedly of Mitral Valve Prolapse and Farmer was left to raise his two children on his own. During this period, Farmer set a number of ultra-marathon Australian and world records, which placed him in the elite of the sport. Before becoming a politician in 2001, he raised over $3 million for Diabetes Australia, Lifeline, Careflight International and the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research. Farmer is perhaps best known for his record breaking 14,964 km Centenary of Federation run around all of Australia in 1999, taking 191 days. This event raised considerable funds for charity. He was named Achiever of the Year at the Australian of the Year Awards 2000.