Growing up in St.Paul, Minnesota, Ann Bancroft was no stranger to the cold
--
great preparation
for a career that would eventually take her to the ice fields at the top and the
bottom of the world. After receiving her B.S. in Physical Education ('81), Bancroft became a wilderness instructor and gymnastics teacher in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and also coached various high school sports.
But in 1986 her sense of adventure called and she started on a journey that would put her ahead of the pack.
THE EXPLORER
Over the span of 22 years, Bancroft has traveled the globe, exploring regions few dare to encounter.
• Reached the North Pole after a 56-day expedition (in 1986).
• Led the first American women's expedition to cross Greenland (1992).
• Led the first all-women's expedition to the South Pole, becoming the first woman to cross the ice to both poles.
• Skied across Antarctica's landmass, a 94-day, 1,717-mile journey (she was actually the first of two women; she made the journey with Norwegian polar explorer Liv Arnesen).
Bancroft co-authored No Horizon is So Far, a book about her journey across Antarctica, and co-owns an exploration company, Bancroft Arnesen Explore (www.yourexpedition.com). In 1995, she was inducted into the United States' National Women's Hall of Fame.
THE MENTOR
Bancroft supports many youth organizations and provides outreach and adventure opportunities to young women to help them aspire to great achievements. Among them:
• The Ann Bancroft Foundation (www.annbancroftfoundation.org), in its 10th year, promotes initiatives that inspire courage, risk-taking, integrity and individuality.
• Bancroft directs Youth Frontiers (www.youthfrontiers.org), an organization that aims to change the way young people treat each other in every school in America.
Bancroft has been a judge for the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Nuclear-Free Future Awards. She has been recognized with the Women of Courage Award (2008), Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year (2001), Ms. Magazine's Woman of the Year (1987) and the YWCA Women First Award.
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