Sohin Returns from Antarctica After Raising over £4,700

After tackling the Himalayas last year, Sohin decided to take on an even greater challenge for 2018: travelling all the way to the south pole, and braving its icy wastes to raise money for our local YMCA community centre.

The expedition was entirely paid for by Sohin, and required a lot of preparation before he could set off. The first leg of the seven-day journey began with a flight to Buenos Aires, where Sohin spent one night, before he transferred to the southern-most tip of Argentina. After spending thirty-six hours in Ushuaia, Sohin finally embarked on a vessel for three days to the south pole. Sohin experienced his fair share of set-backs on the way, including bad weather, lost luggage, and even a rocky-trip through the world’s most dangerous body of water: Drake’s Passage.

The journey took so long, that emotional exhaustion almost got the better of him;

‘By the seventh day, I was convinced that Antarctica just didn’t exist. That I was never going to see it’

But thanks to the support of new friends (including his cabin-mate, who also happened to be wearing a YMCA-shirt), he managed to overcome it all to arrive at Antarctica.

Sohin described the morning he finally woke up and saw the vast expanse of Antarctica for the first time, as being one of the happiest moments of the entire experience.

‘Knowing that I’d made it so far, further than he’d ever been before, made me feel ecstatic. The clean air, and the fields of pristine white stretching into the distance, imbued me with a feeling of immense calm.’

It wasn’t all serenity however, as Sohin was required take part in a number of challenging activities, including; mountaineering, ice-climbing, and even camping out in the snow with nothing but a sleeping bag. At times, the temperatures could reach -20 degrees, thanks to the chilling winds blowing across the ice. Maintaining grip on the ice was made even more difficult, considering that he decided to undertake the expedition despite still recovering from a hamstring injury. With the nearest hospital three days away, it was essential that everyone be as careful as possible.

Tackling these challenges helped to bring everyone on the expedition together, and led to Sohin forming strong bonds with several people there, including the CEO of Hummel (one of the world’s largest sports enterprises). These friendships, along with the breath-taking scenery and intense challenges, has left Sohin with a real sense of achievement;

‘It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.’

But the real victory undoubtedly goes to those people who chose to donate to Sohin’s cause, who were not only friends, family, and work-colleagues, but also complete strangers: such as a woman who gave Sohin £20 in a café. These acts of kindness will go a long way in helping the young people at the Watford Orbital Community Centre to receive greater support and enjoy better facilities. With One YMCA’s CEO, Guy Foxell, and Chair of Trustees, Andrew Newell, calling the contribution a record-breaking amount.

In light of his success, Sohin will be planning an even more ambitious trip for the future, with the aim to continue raising money for One YMCA. In the meantime, we want to congratulate Sohin for his incredible achievement, and thank everyone who donated.