NDCS - Meet the team

Mike Thornewill

Mike will be leading the expedition and has a wealth of experience and expertise in this area. He has been to the North and South Pole on numerous occasions and in 2001 became the third British person ever to ski to both poles.

www.polarchallenge.org

Carl Morris

Carl Morris (30) is an International Pool professional and former World Champion. Carl has participated in numerous international challenge events for the NDCS and jumped at the chance to take on this ultimate challenge and raise a lot of money for a charity that is so close to his heart.

Carl was identified as deaf when he was two years old. At the time his mum was confused and unsure where to turn for help. When she got in touch with the NDCS she found the information and support she needed to make the informed decisions that would shape Carl’s future.

To help with donations please visit Carl's justgiving page

See Carl's interview with the Poles.com website

Ian Berry

Ian Berry (40) lives in West Sussex and works in IT. Ian’s hearing started to deteriorate recently and has found hearing aids to be very effective. He has always dreamed about going to the North Pole and admits to feeling nervous about the challenge!

Ian is currently learning British Sign Language and he hopes that he will be able to help with any communication issues that arise.

To help with donations please visit Ian's JustGiving page

Oliver Westbury

Oliver Westbury (26) runs his own web business in London. He thrives on exercise and regularly runs marathons all around the world. Oliver is profoundly deaf and a British Sign Language user. He knows that the North Pole will really test his fitness levels and says that as he was told about the challenge he knew he had to seize the opportunity to take part.

You can support him by visiting Oliver's North Pole website Oliver's JustGiving page , Oliver's Unshaved Blogspot or buying tickets to deafnye

Donate to save the beard!

Wendy Kidd

Wendy Kidd is the only woman taking part in the challenge. Wendy took part in a cycling adventure in Laos in 2003 for NDCS and really enjoyed the experience. She is now training hard for the toughest challenge of of them all - the North Pole ! Wendy is a publicity consultant and lives in Edinburgh.

David Carr

David (46) co-founded a training firm Hazell Carr Training (now part of BPP) and an outsourcing firm Hazell Carr Plc (which he currently runs). He lives in the Yorkshire dales which have some helpful hills to build up leg strength for this challenge.

David has cycled in Namibia, Cambodia and Jordan for NDCS. The deaf participants in all these events have enthused about the valuable support given by NDCS to deaf children and their parents, and so David is very happy to continue to support the charity – even in the cold.

To help with donations please visit David's justgiving page.