SNOW-GO AREA
FREEZING FUN Nela in training for the expedition
SHE pushed her body to the limit on a 100km walk in the Arctic Circle – but now Nela Popovichas has her sights set on an even tougher challenge.
The 40-year-old, who is based in Glasgow, has joined forces with one of the world’s most experienced explorers, Jim McNeill, to attempt an expedition to the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility.
It’s a point in the Arctic Ocean 200 miles from land – and a feat no one has achieved.
The epic 800-mile journey will begin on the shores of Canada and the challenging environment and terrain mean Nela and the team will have to contend with polar bears and treacherous ice.
She said: “It’s going to be incredibly difficult and physically and emotionally demanding. We will have to spend up to 16 hours a day on our feet.
“We are aiming to do it next year, as it takes a lot of planning, and I have to make sure I’m in the best shape of my life.”
Nela, who grew up in Sarajevo in Bosnia and started skiing when she was four, is undergoing an intensive training programme.
She is one of only a handful of women taking part and is following a special diet and lifting weights to build up her strength.
Nela said: “As a child, I was always very sporty and liked to challenge myself. In Sarajevo, the winter can be punishing, but I loved being out in the snow.
“I love situations when nature shows you who is boss – and ice and snow definitely have a way of exposing the true strength of your character.
“There has always been something enticing about exploration for me, but to a kid growing up in Sarajevo, an expedition like this seemed totally unobtainable.
“When I saw details of this project, I just felt like they were calling on people like me – a call I couldn’t ignore.
“I feel so honoured to be part of it all and to be the Scottish contingent on the team. I might be Bosnian-born but I am incredibly proud to now be an adopted Scot. Glasgow is my home.”
Along the tough route, team members will be gathering crucial
ICE WARRIORS Jim McNeill, top, and Nela
data sets for the scientific community, including new information about how sea ice breaks up.
It makes the endeavour a major, globally significant project.
Partners include NASA, the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre, the Met Office, the Scott Polar Institute, the Norwegian Polar Institute and the Russian Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute.
This vital data will deliver information on the impact of continuing climate change.
Nela said: “I know I am in for a steep learning curve. The training alone will push me to my limit of endurance, but I can’t wait.
“To be part of a team making history in a world where it is hard to do anything new, or go anywhere new, is thrilling beyond belief.
“To be able to also collect vital scientific data that will make a tangible difference to safeguarding our future gives the expedition an even greater purpose.
“We need to protect the planet for the next generation, particularly now with world leaders who are complete climate change deniers.
“We need to understand more about this amazing place we call home and make sure we’re doing everything we can to make sure that everyone respects it.”
Nela, who is head of events and