Team Leader
Alan Chambers - MBE Fellow
of Explorers Club & the RGS
Adventurer, former Royal Marine, author and philanthropist

A former Royal Marine Commando, Alan Chambers has helped
to raise over £14 million for charitable causes, by leading extreme expeditions and exploring over 70 countries from the North and South Pole. Alan’s resume of world-firsts and adventures is truly endless.

Alan and Dave fist skied across Iceland coast to coast while
both serving in the royal marines and have remained buddies for 30years. Now they embark on another epic expedition together across antarctica.

Awarded an MBE for leadership in constant adversity, Alan is a devoted educator and motivational speaker. In 2012 Alan conceptualised and launched, ‘Extreme Classrooms’, changing the lives of special needs children through mentoring, adventures, and sports in extreme locations. Classrooms were constructed in over 12 locations, from the himalayas to the great rift valley in Africa, designed to build confidence and resilience in the students - the initiative was later featured on the BBC and Sky networks.

‘The only limits are those of vision’
Dave Thomas
Dave is an experienced Consultant, Trainer and Manager and has a soundtrack record in developing people, organisations, and teams across a range of industry sectors. Dave has more than 45 years’ experience working with organisations ranging from school pupils, military personnel of all ranks, local, national, and international organisations, he is a holder of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development – Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring, additionally he is a qualified kayak, ski, cave, rock climbing and winter mountaineering instructor.

A former Royal Marine Commando, joining 69 JMneTroop at RM Deal at 16years and 1 month, becoming the youngest trained rank in 45 Commando joining 6 Troop, Yankee company in October 1972 at 16yrs 10 months.

This 3-year draft passed quickly with annual autumn mountain training and 3-month arctic warfare winter training deployments to Norway, Northern Ireland. Thereafter drafts to Commando Carrier HMS Hermes as an LC3 LCVP crew member, Naval Party 8901 77/78, 45 Cdo RM (3 times). Dave then opted to change direction and completed his Physical Training Instructor 2 and subsequently a PTI 1, deployments to Joint Service Mountain Centers Scotland, and Joint Services Instructor Training Centre Llanrwst, Commachio Company RM, CTCRM, RM Poole, completing his 24 years at Royal marines School of Music as the Unit PTI in December 1995.

Dave maintains his active lifestyle through experiential leadership events working with a wide range of abilities from 6-year-old children through to blue chip organisations, utilising both indoor and outdoor classrooms as a vehicle for personal and organisational development.

As well as supporting charitable events, he has led and participated in numerous expeditions at home and abroad including Norway, Canada, Costa Rica, Borneo, Corsica, Panama, Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, Switzerland, Austria, Australia, France, Vietnam, and Iceland including the execution of the first successful winter crossing of Iceland on skis from the West coast to the East, attempted six times previously by various nationalities. The Island of Iceland was deemed un-crossable.

Dragging sledges each weighing 240 pound the four-man team skied in arctic blizzard conditions for 47 days to raise funds for the Institute of Spinal Research. Married to Lori, Dave spends his spare time mountain biking around the local forests between visiting his sons and 4 young grandchildren.

Dr Maureen Raymo

G. Unger Vetlesen Professor of Earth and Climate Science
Co-Founding Dean Emerita, Columbia Climate School
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University

Dr. Maureen Raymo is a renowned marine geologist and climate scientist in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. She was the first climate scientist to lead the Observatory as well as one of the founding deans of the Columbia Climate School. Maureen is a pioneer in her field with research focusing on the history and causes of climate change and its consequences for future sea level and ice sheet stability.

Her work has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Discover Magazine, and on popular media channels such as the History Channel and PBS Nova.

Professor Andy McCann

Manchester Metropolitan University Partnership
Andy is a Professor of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University, a Director of DNA Definitive and a human performance specialist.

Andy develops high performance environments and supports elite teams. He doe this through applied performance psychology and a development of evidence-based resilience focused strategies.

Andy works with political leaders, high net-worth individuals, corporate business leaders, world leading athletes and coaches, the emergency services, humanitarian aid specialists, as well as with specialist police, military, and defence organisations.
Dr Maureen Raymo,
Project Lead, Columbia
University Partnership
G. Unger Vetlesen Professor, Earth and Climate ScientistDirector, Lamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryCo-Founding Dean, Columbia Climate School

Dr. Maureen Raymo is a renowned marine geologist and climate scientist, currently serving as the Director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observtory at Columbia University.

As the first climate scientist to lead the Observatory, she is a pioneer in her field, with research focusing on the history and causes of climate change and its consequences for future sea level and ice sheet stability.

Her work has been featured in many publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Discover Magazine, and on popular media channels such as the History Channel and PBS Nova.
Tim Peake
​​Born in Chichester, England, on 7 April 1972, Tim had a passion for adventure from an early age. The Cub Scouts and school Cadet Force gave him a taste for the outdoors and he was never happier as a young boy than when he was hiking, kayaking or climbing.​At the age of 13, Tim’s dream of becoming a pilot became a reality when he took control of an aircraft for the first time. It sparked a passion for flying that has been a driving force throughout his career. By the time he was 18, he had already flown numerous solo sorties and been awarded a coveted position to join the British Army Air Corps.

​Before attending the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, Tim spent an arduous three months on an expedition to Alaska. Working on environmental and sustainability projects not long after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, he kayaked Prince William Sound and learned ice climbing and winter mountaineering near Denali National Park.Tim embraced the tough regime at the Royal Military Academy and despite being one of the youngest officer recruits he was singled out to lead his Platoon and later awarded the Stockwell Sword as the Army Air Corps’ best junior officer.

As a young second lieutenant, Tim’s leadership skills were put to the test on the troubled streets of Northern Ireland, serving as a Platoon Commander on attachment to the Royal Green Jackets prior to commencing his flying training.He was a natural in the air, absorbing every detail of training and longing to expand his knowledge with each flight. He gained his Army Flying Wings in 1994 and was awarded best student on his course.

​After nearly 18 years of military service, Tim left the Army in 2009 to work as a senior test pilot for AgustaWestland (now Leonardo Helicopters). At the same time, having been surprised to see an online recruiting advertisement from the European Space Agency (ESA), he underwent a rigorous year-long astronaut selection with over 8000 other hopeful candidates. Previously, UK citizens had been unable to apply to become ESA astronauts and so Tim leapt at this once in a lifetime opportunity.​Tim was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009 along with five classmates and started training in September that year. He had to learn Russian language in addition to understanding the science and engineering of spaceflight. Astronaut training covered a plethora of topics as diverse as dentistry, minor surgical procedures and survival training. Parabolic flights, aptly nicknamed the ‘vomit comet’, gave astronauts their first taste of weightlessness and underwater training allowed crews to perform simulated spacewalks for hours at a time, whilst the centrifuge prepared them for the punishing g-forces of launch and re-entry.
Anna Boden
Mission Spiritus Operations Manager
Anna is an educator and seasoned adventurer with extensive experience in extreme travel and a proven track record of organising successful events. Her passion for pushing the limits and exploring new horizons has taken her to some of the world’s most remote and challenging locations.
Kevin Holland
I am currently the CEO of Global SpiritEd, a community interest company that works across the breadth of educational sectors.  This is an exciting opportunity for everyone involved and is a truly collaborative and inspirational international network. 

My passion for education grew out of a love of sport – plus a fabulous PE teacher that I’ll be forever grateful to.  I had a wide range of opportunities and experiences through PE and sport in school, this lead me to train as a Secondary PE teacher and begin a career in education in 2000. I had fantastic mentors and opportunities to develop quickly during my first years teaching in Hampshire and was an ‘Advanced Skills Teacher’ by 2005, this journey added clarity to my educational beliefs and philosophies. Following this period, I moved to work in London as my first step into senior leadership and continued this journey in Suffolk.

At this point my opportunities had been broad and personally developmental and challenging, increasing the enjoyment level! Working as a local authority adviser for 4 years was amazing, then some diversity in role as an operations director in a sports coaching business before working at Bolton University. This brings me to Global SpiritEd, an opportunity to continue working with a network of schools, university, educational partners, and brave leaders.

My own philosophy around education sits far from the top down, high levels of accountability and increasing stress and decreasing levels of well-being that seemingly drive our systems. Promoting agency, autonomy, real life experiences, coaching alongside precise goal setting and the opportunity to follow your passions and dreams should be a reality. All stakeholders in the system, children, teachers and wider, should be empowered to take ownership and lead their learning, done by, done with but not done to.

This ethos sits centrally to our support and focus within the Global SpiritED network. Working with clarity, purpose and a clear morals, critically, contextualising each school to ensure sustainable development of each focus area; curriculum, person, leadership, school improvement. 

I am excited about this next step in my career and to be working with all those involved. 

Team Leader
Alan Chambers

Adventurer, former Royal Marine, author and philanthropist

A former Royal Marine Commando, Alan Chambers has helped to raise over £14 million for charitable causes, by leading extreme expeditions and exploring over 70 countries from the North and South Pole. Alan’s resume of world-firsts and adventures is truly endless.

Awarded an MBE for leadership in constant adversity, Alan is a devoted educator and motivational speaker. In 2012 Alan conceptualised and launched, ‘Extreme Classrooms’, changing the lives of special needs children through mentoring, adventures, and sports in extreme locations. Classrooms were constructed in over 12 locations, from the himalayas to the great rift valley in Africa, designed to build confidence and resilience in the students - the initiative was later featured on the BBC and Sky networks.

‘The only limits are those of vision’

Team Leader
Alan Chambers

Adventurer, former Royal Marine, author and philanthropist

A former Royal Marine Commando, Alan Chambers has helped to raise over £14 million for charitable causes, by leading extreme expeditions and exploring over 70 countries from the North and South Pole. Alan’s resume of world-firsts and adventures is truly endless.

Awarded an MBE for leadership in constant adversity, Alan is a devoted educator and motivational speaker. In 2012 Alan conceptualised and launched, ‘Extreme Classrooms’, changing the lives of special needs children through mentoring, adventures, and sports in extreme locations. Classrooms were constructed in over 12 locations, from the himalayas to the great rift valley in Africa, designed to build confidence and resilience in the students - the initiative was later featured on the BBC and Sky networks.

‘The only limits are those of vision’

Kevin Holland

I am currently the CEO of Global SpiritEd, a community interest company that works across the breadth of educational sectors.  This is an exciting opportunity for everyone involved and is a truly collaborative and inspirational international network. 

My passion for education grew out of a love of sport – plus a fabulous PE teacher that I’ll be forever grateful to.  I had a wide range of opportunities and experiences through PE and sport in school, this lead me to train as a Secondary PE teacher and begin a career in education in 2000. 
‍
I had fantastic mentors and opportunities to develop quickly during my first years teaching
in Hampshire and was an ‘Advanced Skills Teacher’ by 2005, this journey added clarity to my educational beliefs and philosophies. Following this period, I moved to work in London as my
first step into senior leadership and continued this journey in Suffolk.

At this point my opportunities had been broad and personally developmental and challenging, increasing the enjoyment level!  Working as a local authority adviser for 4 years was amazing, then some diversity in role as an operations director in a sports coaching business before working at Bolton University.This brings me to Global SpiritEd, an opportunity to continue working with
a network of schools, university, educational partners, and brave leaders.

My own philosophy around education sits far from the top down, high levels of accountability
and increasing stress and decreasing levels of well-being that seemingly drive our systems.  Promoting agency, autonomy, real life experiences, coaching alongside precise goal setting and the opportunity to follow your passions and dreams should be a reality.  All stakeholders in the system, children, teachers and wider, should be empowered to take ownership and lead their learning, done by, done with but not done to.This ethos sits centrally to our support and focus within the Global SpiritED network.  Working with clarity, purpose and a clear morals, critically, contextualising each school to ensure sustainable development of each focus area; curriculum, person, leadership, school improvement. I am excited about this next step in my career and to be working with all those involved. 

Team Leader
Alan Chambers

Adventurer, former Royal Marine, author and philanthropist

A former Royal Marine Commando, Alan Chambers has helped to raise over £14 million for charitable causes, by leading extreme expeditions and exploring over 70 countries from the North and South Pole. Alan’s resume of world-firsts and adventures is truly endless.

Awarded an MBE for leadership in constant adversity, Alan is a devoted educator and motivational speaker. In 2012 Alan conceptualised and launched, ‘Extreme Classrooms’, changing the lives of special needs children through mentoring, adventures, and sports in extreme locations. Classrooms were constructed in over 12 locations, from the himalayas to the great rift valley in Africa, designed to build confidence and resilience in the students - the initiative was later featured on the BBC and Sky networks.

‘The only limits are those of vision’

Team Leader
DR Maureen Raymo

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‘The only limits are those of vision’

The VisionThe ExpeditionPartnershipsGalleryContactDONATEMAPThe Team
The expedition
Our journey begins with an expedition across the past and future lungs of the Earth, Antarctica. On our way to the South Pole we will conducting experiments into the spread of nano plastics into the world’s cleanest environment, and a human health study to further our understanding of temporal and human performance on the ice. You can find out more about the science and our educational programme here
The expedition
Our journey begins with an expedition across the past and future lungs of the earth, Antarctica. On our way to the South Pole we will conducting experiments into the spread of nano plastics into the world’s cleanest environment, and a human health study to further our understanding of temporal and human performance on the ice. You can find out more about the science and our educational programme here
The Team
Extreme leaders is a collaboration of explorers, scientists, endurance guides and astronauts with experience opening up some of the world’s most isolated environments.
Alan and Dave first skied across Iceland coast to coast while both serving in the royal marines and have remained buddies for 30 years. Now they embark on another epic expedition together across the Antarctic. Dave will be the oldest adventurer to ski unsupported form Hercules inlet to the South Pole.

ALAN CHAMBERS

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Dave Thomas

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Dr Maureen Raymo

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Professor
Andy McCann

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Tim Peake

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Kevin Holland

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Alan Chambers
Team Leader
MBE FRGSA adventurer,
former Royal Marine,
author and philanthropist

A former Royal Marine Commando, Alan Chambers has helped to raise over £14 million for charitable causes, by leading extreme expeditions and exploring over 70 countries from the North and South Pole.
Alan’s resume of world-firsts and adventures is truly endless.

Awarded an MBE for leadership in constant adversity, Alan is a devoted educator and motivational speaker.

In 2012 Alan conceptualised and launched, ‘Extreme Classrooms’, changing the lives of special needs children through mentoring, adventures, and sports in extreme locations. Classrooms were constructed in over 12 locations, from the himalayas to the great rift valley in Africa, designed to build confidence and resilience in the students - the initiative was later featured on the BBC and Sky networks.‘

'The only limits are those of vision’

Dave Thomas

Dave is an experienced Consultant, Trainer and Manager and has a soundtrack record in developing people, organisations, and teams across a range of industry sectors. Dave has more than 45 years’ experience working with organisations ranging from school pupils, military personnel of all ranks, local, national, and international organisations, he is a holder of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development – Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring, additionally he is a qualified kayak, ski, cave, rock climbing and winter mountaineering instructor.

A former Royal Marine Commando, joining 69 JMneTroop at RM Deal at 16years and 1 month, becoming the youngest trained rank in 45 Commando joining 6 Troop, Yankee company in October 1972 at 16yrs 10 months. This 3-year draft passed quickly with annual autumn mountain training and 3-month arctic warfare winter training deployments to Norway, Northern Ireland.

Thereafter drafts to Commando Carrier HMS Hermes as an LC3 LCVP crew member, Naval Party 8901 77/78, 45 Cdo RM (3 times).

Dave then opted to change direction and completed his Physical Training Instructor 2 and subsequently a PTI 1, deployments to Joint Service Mountain Centers Scotland, and Joint Services Instructor Training Centre Llanrwst, Commachio Company RM, CTCRM, RM Poole, completing his 24 years at Royal marines School of Music as the Unit PTI in December 1995.

Dave maintains his active lifestyle through experiential leadership events working with a wide range of abilities from 6-year-old children through to blue chip organisations, utilsing both indoor and outdoor classrooms as a vehicle for personal and organisational development.

As well as supporting charitable events, he has led and participated in numerous expeditions at home and abroad including Norway, Canada, Costa Rica, Borneo, Corsica, Panama, Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, Switzerland, Austria, Australia, France, Vietnam, and Iceland including the execution of the first successful winter crossing of Iceland on skis from the West coast to the East, attempted six times previously by various nationalities.

The Island of Iceland was deemed un-crossable. Dragging sledges each weighing 240 pound the four-man team skied in arctic blizzard conditions for 47 days to raise funds for the Institute of Spinal Research.

Married to Lori, Dave spends his spare time mountain biking around the local forests between visiting his sons and 4 young grandchildren.

Maureen Raymo

G. Unger Vetlesen Professor
Earth and Climate Science
‍
Director
Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory
‍
Co-Founding Dean
Columbia Climate School

Dr Maureen Raymo is a renowned marine geologist and climate scientist, currently serving as the Director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. As the first climate scientist to lead the Observatory, she is a pioneer in her field, with research focusing on the history and causes of climate change and its consequences for future sea level and ice sheet stability.

Her work has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Discover Magazine, and on popular media channels such as the History Channel and PBS Nova.

Professor Andy McCann

Manchester Metropolitan
University Partnership

Andy is a Professor of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University, a Director of DNA Definitive and a human performance specialist.

Andy develops high performance environments and supports elite teams. He does this through applied performance psychology and a development of evidence-based resilience focused strategies.

Andy works with political leaders,
high net-worth individuals, corporate business leaders, world leading athletes and coaches, the emergency services, humanitarian aid specialists, as well as with specialist police, military, and defence organisations.

Tim Peake

​​Born in Chichester, England, on 7 April 1972, Tim had a passion for adventure from an early age. The Cub Scouts and school Cadet Force gave him a taste for the outdoors and he was never happier as a young boy than when he was hiking, kayaking or climbing.​

At the age of 13, Tim’s dream of becoming a pilot became a reality when he took control of an aircraft for the first time. It sparked a passion for flying that has been a driving force throughout his career. By the time he was 18, he had already flown numerous solo sorties and been awarded a coveted position to join the British Army Air Corps.

​Before attending the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, Tim spent an arduous three months on an expedition to Alaska. Working on environmental and sustainability projects not long after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, he kayaked Prince William Sound and learned ice climbing and winter mountaineering near Denali National Park.

Tim embraced the tough regime at the Royal Military Academy and despite being one of the youngest officer recruits he was singled out to lead his Platoon and later awarded the Stockwell Sword as the Army Air Corps’ best junior officer.

As a young second lieutenant, Tim’s leadership skills were put to the test on the troubled streets of Northern Ireland, serving as a Platoon Commander on attachment to the Royal Green Jackets prior to commencing his flying training.

He was a natural in the air, absorbing every detail of training and longing to expand his knowledge with each flight. He gained his Army Flying Wings in 1994 and was awarded best student on his course.​

After nearly 18 years of military service, Tim left the Army in 2009 to work as a senior test pilot for AgustaWestland (now Leonardo Helicopters). At the same time, having been surprised to see an online recruiting advertisement from the European Space Agency (ESA), he underwent a rigorous year-long astronaut selection with over 8000 other hopeful candidates. Previously, UK citizens had been unable to apply to become ESA astronauts and so Tim leapt at this once in a lifetime opportunity.​

Tim was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009 along with five classmates and started training in September that year. He had to learn Russian language in addition to understanding the science and engineering of spaceflight. Astronaut training covered a plethora of topics as diverse as dentistry, minor surgical procedures and survival training. Parabolic flights, aptly nicknamed the ‘vomit comet’, gave astronauts their first taste of weightlessness and underwater training allowed crews to perform simulated spacewalks for hours at a time, whilst the centrifuge prepared them for the punishing g-forces of launch and re-entry.

Kevin Holland

I am currently the CEO of Global SpiritEd, a community interest company that works across the breadth of educational sectors.  

This is an exciting opportunity for everyone involved and is a truly collaborative and inspirational international network. My passion for education grew out of a love of sport – plus a fabulous PE teacher that I’ll be forever grateful to.  I had a wide range of opportunities and experiences through PE and sport in school, this lead me to train as a Secondary PE teacher and begin a career in education in 2000. I had fantastic mentors and opportunities to develop quickly during my first years teaching in Hampshire and was an ‘Advanced Skills Teacher’ by 2005, this journey added clarity to my educational beliefs and philosophies. Following this period, I moved to work in London as my first step into senior leadership and continued this journey in Suffolk.

At this point my opportunities had been broad and personally developmental and challenging, increasing the enjoyment level! Working as a local authority adviser for 4 years was amazing, then some diversity in role as an operations director in a sports coaching business before working at Bolton University. This brings me to Global SpiritEd, an opportunity to continue working with a network of schools, university, educational partners, and brave leaders.

‍My own philosophy around education sits
far from the top down, high levels of accountability and increasing stress and decreasing levels of well-being that seemingly drive our systems. Promoting agency, autonomy, real life experiences, coaching alongside precise goal setting and the opportunity to follow your passions and dreams should be a reality. All stakeholders in the system, children, teachers and wider, should be empowered to take ownership and lead their learning, done by, done with but not done to.

This ethos sits centrally to our support and focus within the Global SpiritED network. Working with clarity, purpose and a clear morals, critically, contextualising each school to ensure sustainable development of each focus area; curriculum, person, leadership, school improvement. I am excited about this next step in my career and to be working with all those involved.

Sponsorships & partnerships

In addition to our academic partnerships there are a range of opportunities to get involved with the expedition and Mission Spiritus. To download our brochure just enter your email address here. Our sponsorship packages are set out below.

Mission spiritus will be raising essential funds for the Royal Marines charity and specifically the metal health well-being and addiction programmes the charity fund and support.

packages

Get in touch
Title Sponsor
4 events
More info
Gold Package
3 events
More info
Silver Package
2 events
More info
Bronze Package
1 event
More info
Exposure on
Mission Spiritus Website
Prominent Branding
On Kit And Equipment
All Visible Content On Social
Media Throughout The Project
Mission Spiritus Exclusive Return
Celebration Event Attendence
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