In the Press

If you think this is tough, wait for our next challenge.

Coventry Evening Telegraph, August 23rd by Andrew Heath.

TIRELESS Leamington lads John Barker and Emlyn Evans have warmed up for a polar expedition by taking part in a gruelling assault course.

For more than three hours, John, aged 29, and Emlyn, 27, battled through mud, fire, nettles, electric fences and underwater sewage pipes to finish the Tough Guy event......

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Latest News

30 October 2006: Polar Horizon's Charity Ball

The members of team Polar Horizon organised a magnificent ball at a top Stratford hotel to raise funds for their chosen charities...

Saturday night saw the culmination of six months hard work for the boys from the Polar Horizon team when their charity ball took place at the Stratford Manor Hotel......

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Fundraiser put us in pole position

Coventry Evening Telegraph, November 9th

A FROSTY night out raised a cool £3,600 to help a pair of Warwickshire explorers on their way to a North Pole challenge.

Intrepid Leamington lads John Barker, aged 30, and Emlyn Evans, aged 27, hosted a polar-themed charity ball at the Stratford Manor Hotel in Warwickshire......

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Emlyn appears on the Annie Othen show...trying on thermal underwear!!

BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire, November 24th

I don’t know how he managed it, but Evans gets himself onto BBC radio taking all his clothes off! Highlights from the interview are, when asked, “why are you walking to the pole?” a confused Evans replies: “because we fancied a stroll”...er, nice one Em! You thought about that reply didn’t you!....oh, & he’s also forced to put on a Spider Man set of thermals...and manages to put them on back to front...thankfully they had kids size for him!...click on the button below to listen to the podcast....

Polar Horizon Get Poster Coverage!

Fulham area, during November 2006.

The boys have been doing some advertising in the Fulham area. Thanks goes to Fran Henney & her contacts for sorting this out. If you’re in the Fulham area see if you spot posters. It’s all about raising the team’s profile!

Click here to read see the full poster >>

Intrepid team will be racing to the North Pole

East Anglian Daily Times, November 25th, by David Green

TWO former Suffolk men are preparing to take part in a race to the North Pole - across some of the most desolate terrain in the world.

John Barker and Alex Henney are both former students at Framlingham College & their parents still live in Wilby, near Eye, & Ashfield, near Debenham respectively....

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Race across the icy wastes to the North Pole

Royal Leamington Spa Times, December 5th, by Sinead Keller

IN the icy wasteland of the Arctic circle, fierce blizzards, treacherous snow drifts and temperatures of minus 40 degrees make for one the harshest landscapes on the planet.

In these turbulent conditions two pals from Leamington Spa are getting ready to compete in one of the toughest races in the world....

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Former Suffolk Duo prepare for top race

East Anglian Daily Times, January 2nd, by David Green

TWO former Suffolk men are heading for Wales to help prepare for the physical & mental challenges of a race to the North Pole.

Alex Henney, 29, a stockbroker whose family live at Ashfield, near Debenham, & 30-year old bank manager John Barker, whose parents live at Wilby near Eye, are part of a team of three due to take part in the 2007 Polar Race....

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Em & Alex appear on the Bob Brolly show to have some banter about the race to the Pole.

BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire, January 2nd.

Al starts the interview by admitting that he follows Ipswich Town (...Al, you? football?)...anyway...the pair spent half an hour chatting with Bob on the Monday about their trek, why on earth they’re doing it, & what sort of training they’re doing...apparently they could be back on again (not sure after this performance!!!)...click on the button below to listen to the interview, & watch out for further interviews in the future...

Polar challengers ready for trek

Evening Star 24, January 2nd

Alex Henney, 29, a stockbroker whose family live at Ashfield, near Debenham, & 30-year old bank manager John Barker, whose parents live at Wilby near Eye, are part of a team of three due to take part in the 2007 Polar Race.

The pair are heading for the sand dunes of Porthcawl in Wales this weekend to get used to hauling loads across difficult terrain....

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Team’s journey to the ‘Norhcawl’

Western Mail, January 4th, by Tryst Williams

A Welsh beach will double as the North Pole this weekend for teams preparing for one of the world’s toughest endurance races.

Sand dunes near Porthcawl will stand in for one of the world’s last great wildernesses, as 15 men and women learn the gruelling art of pulling heavy sleds across difficult terrain....

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Training gets chilly for polar racers

Eastern Daily Press, January 5th

John Barker, 30, a bank manager whose parents live at Wilby. near Eye and Alex Henney, a 29-year stockbroker whose family live at Ashfield near Debenham are part of a three-man team in the 2007 Polar Race.

Their participation in April’s race will raise money for Cancer Research UK and the Wooden Spoon charity, which supports mentally, physically and socially disadvantaged children around the UK....

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Emlyn & John appear on the Good Morning Wales show with Jason Mohammad

BBC Radio Radio Wales, Saturday, January 6th

On the way down to Porthcawl for the training weekend, Em & John popped into BBC Radio Wales. The “Emlyn Evans” name once again championing the Polar Horizon team! John & Em give Jason a quick run down on what they’re actually doing, what’s involved, & what they’re doing in Wales at the weekend....Jason plans to invite them back! Mind you their performance is pretty good! Click on the button below to hear the lads on the show....

Click here to listen to the interview >>

Emlyn appears on 106.3 Bridge FM

106.3 Bridge FM, January 5th

Em gets some more coverage having been identified as the Welsh hope to win the Polar Race. A quick interview where Em discusses what he’s doing, why he’s mad enough to do it, & what the team are doing to ensure that they’re going to be keeping warm up on the ice cap!

Click here to listen to the interview >>

Al appears on the Annie Othen Show

BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire, January 23rd

Al appears on the Annie Othen show whilst the cold snap is going on. Hear the reasons why the lads or going on this expedition, why they’re having to put on 2 stone in weight in the next couple of months, & why they have been training to deal with Polar Bears of the last couple of months...to listen to the Podcast, simply click on the link below...

Click here to listen to the interview >>

We Feel the pull of the North Pole

Coventry Evening Telegraph, March 30th

A BANK manger, a furniture removals boss & a stockbroker are in the final stages of training for a trip to the North Pole.

John Barker, aged 30, of Rugby Road, & Emlyn Evans, aged 27, of Sapphire Drive - both in Leamington - and Alex Henney, aged 29, from London, have signed up for a challenge of a lifetime.....

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All Set for a journey to the top of the earth

East Anglian Daily Times, April 5th, by David Green

TWO former Suffolk men have flown to Canada to begin the countdown to their participation in a race to the North Pole.

John Barker, whose parents live at Wilby, near Eye, and Alex Henney, whose family live at Ashfield, near Debenham, will be part of a three-man team, Polar Horizon, which has been training hard for the past year.

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Race to Pole comes to end

East Anglian Daily Times, May 5th, by David Green

TWO former Suffolk men are among competitors who were yesterday waiting for transport back to base camp after completing a gruelling race to the North Pole.

John Barker, 30, whose parents live at Wilby, near Eye, and Alex Henney, 29, whose family lives at Ashfield near Debenham are members of the three-man Team Polar Horizon which came second in the race....

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Polar Race 2007 turns into a 3-way

Outdoor Newswire, May 8th

The results are finally in for this year's Polar Race -- thanks to thepoles.com -- and teams Blue Tits, Team Refuge and Polar Horizon tied for first and will be sharing the Wedgwood Blue Ice Trophy.

II Magnetic, The Brass Monkeys, and Carpe Diem rounded out the bottom six in the 350-mile race to the Magnetic North Pole.

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Polar race team back home

East Anglian Daily Times, May 23rd, by David Green

TWO former Suffolk men have arrived back in the UK after a “terrifying” encounter with polar bears during a gruelling trek across the polar ice.

John Barker, 30, whose parent live at Wilby, near Eye, & Alex Henney, 29, whose family home is at Ashfield near Debenham were part of Team Polar Horizon a three-man team which came second in a race to the North Pole in aid of charity....

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I Went to the North Pole

Leamington Spa Courier, May 17th

At 1.12am on May 2, Leamington’s Emlyn Evans & John Barker reached the North Pole having survived in the arctic for more than four weeks.

They were taking part in the Polar Race 2007 - a 350-mile endurance race to the magnetic North Pole - and came second in what many have described as the toughest challenges around....

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Grazia Opinion

Grazia Magazine, June 2007

“I wasn’t jealous. No, I was quite happy sitting in -50 degrees. Really I was. That would have meant that while you were wallowing in the 50 degree heat in Dubai the temperature differential was close to that of boiling water.

So actually I lie. I was very jealous.”

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