[ Press Release December 4, 2003 ]
World Wide Learn Sponsors First American's
Solo, Unsupported Trek To Geographic North Pole
Life-long adventurer, athlete Wave Vidmar leverages key support to
lay groundwork to launch historic expedition in February 2004
CALGARY, ALBERTA and OAKLAND, CALIF.- December 4, 2003 - World Wide Learn, provider of the world's largest directory of e-learning courses and online education resources, and Wave Vidmar, life-long adventurer and athlete, today announced that World Wide Learn has been named key sponsor of WorldWideLearn.com North Pole Solo 2004 (http://www.worldwidelearn.com/northpole). North Pole Solo is Vidmar's personal quest to reach the geographic North Pole - solo and unsupported.
With key sponsorship funding from World Wide Learn in place, Vidmar's historic expedition is officially slated to begin February 2004. When Vidmar reaches the North Pole, he will be the first American to accomplish this feat, the third person to ever to reach the Pole solo and unsupported, and the second person to reach the Pole from the Russian side.
"We are very excited to be an integral part of Wave's incredible journey across the Arctic, and look forward to supporting his courageous odyssey in every way possible," says Angela Lovett, CEO and founder of World Wide Learn. "At World Wide Learn, our entire team shares Wave's philosophy to envision, inspire and accomplish. That's why we elected to sponsor Wave's quest to reach his personal goal - and also his quest to inspire others to go out and realize their dreams. Whether you want to be an artist or a scientist, you can create the life you want through learning and education. World Wide Learn's directory of online learning can be the conduit for sparking someone's interest and getting them moving in the right direction toward attaining their life-long goals."
With funding from World Wide Learn, Vidmar is slated to leave San Francisco on February 10, 2004, arriving in Moscow to gather last-minute supplies before continuing on to Cape Artichevsky (81°16'N-95°E) [see map http://www.worldwidelearn.com/northpole/maps] aboard a Russian MI-8 helicopter. For approximately 60 days, Vidmar will walk, ski, and even swim over 600 miles to reach his goal. He will endure average temperatures of minus 30°F, with lows around minus 50°F. With wind-chill, temperatures can plunge to 150°F below zero. "It's going to be a little chilly," deadpans Vidmar, who is no stranger to extreme conditions after spending years climbing mountains.
Some of the dangers Vidmar faces are encounters with the local denizens, including potentially frequent brushes with polar bears, as well as killer whales and sharks. He will also be exposing himself to the rigors of Arctic swimming, the continual potential of cold weather injuries, and the possibility of plain old freezing to death.
"I have been driven my entire life to push the envelope," says Vidmar. "From mountain climbing, parachuting and hang gliding to sailing and camel racing, I have always been an adventurer and thrive on personal challenge. In 2000, I decided to live out another life-long dream - to ride my bicycle across America. Without any physical training or much preparation, I simply ordered a bicycle out of a catalog, and that first mile on that bike was the first mile of my journey across America."
Vidmar will be staying in contact with the outside world via satellite phone, and will conduct live media interviews from the ice. Vidmar will also be able to send and receive email, images and video clips, and will also be the first solo polar explorer to shoot high-definition video and compose music while at the Pole. Complete coverage of the expedition, including daily logs, will be webcast from http://www.worldwidelearn.com/northpole.
On approximately April 30, 2004, at the conclusion of Vidmar's unprecedented American pilgrimage, he will meet with press at the North Pole. After that, he will once again board an MI-8 helicopter - this time bound for the Borneo Ice Station (about 80 miles from the North pole), where he will board a Russian Illushyn or Anatov jet headed to Norway. Then, he will connect with a commercial airliner bound for London. After a short respite, Vidmar will take his final flight back to San Francisco, where he will launch into preparing for his next two expeditions; solo to the South Pole (November 2004) and rowing across the Atlantic Ocean - solo, of course - sometime around the middle of 2004.
Vidmar's historic expedition continues to gain attention. Already, there are several television specials in the works to be aired in the U.S. and Europe. Vidmar also plans to inspire kids to achieve their own goals through the educational component of this expedition, with visits to schools and a traveling interactive museum exhibit in early planning stages.
For more information about Wave's expedition, see http://www.worldwidelearn.com/northpole.
About World Wide Learn
Founded in 1998, and based in Calgary, Canada, World Wide Learn offers the world's largest independent directory of educational services, featuring informative resources as well as hundreds of e-learning courses in 247 subject categories. WorldWideLearn.com enables its users to quickly and easily locate effective e-learning courseware. The directory highlights free courses and tutorials, computer training, corporate training, post-secondary education, professional development, personal development, and continuing education. Some of World Wide Learn's leading university partners include Baker College, Capella University, Kaplan College, University of Phoenix, University of Maryland University College, and Walden University.
More information about World Wide Learn can be found on the company's website at www.WorldWideLearn.com.
For more information contact:
Zing Public Relations
Tim Cox
Tel: 650-369-7784
Cel: 650-888-6116
Email: tim@zingpr.com
