James' Journey: From the UK to the Arctic Circle

For nearly a decade I have dedicated myself to the ambulance service in the UK, both in the NHS, private and voluntary sector. It's been a remarkable journey filled with countless experiences and often special moments helping those in need. In November 2022, I took a leap of faith and left my role as an Ambulance Operations Manager to embark on a new adventure, with the aim of making an even greater impact.

I transitioned into consulting and freelancing within the medical industry, focusing on frontline support and ensuring compliance in healthcare, all while offering emergency planning support in the events industry. This career shift was driven by my passion for emergency preparedness, resilience and response, all the while working towards a Master's degree at the University of Wolverhampton.

The past 12 months have been transformative. In early 2023, I was fortunate enough to travel to Sweden for training in major incident testing at the Katastrofmedicinskt Centrum (or the Centre for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology, between you and I), soon after I got the opportunity to provide medical support to an incredible remote island outside of the UK, and spent 9 weeks learning about the unbelievably modest nature of emergency resilience in such remote locations, the sudden and unforgiving changes in weather and how quickly these can impact the communities and how rapidly they can become cut off from each other and the outside world.

I'm now gearing up for an even more challenging adventure in early 2024. I'll be venturing to the Yukon in the Northern Territories of Canada, just inside the Arctic Circle, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, to support an extraordinary mission. I am volunteering my time, caring for international athletes who are taking on the ultimate challenge—an ultra-marathon in one of the world's most extreme and remote environments.

These athletes will confront extreme cold, unforgiving terrain, and gruelling physical and mental challenges. My mission there is to provide essential medical support for the international athletes, working with some of the most remote communities in the world, in temperatures as low as Minus 50 degrees Celsius, along the 500 mile marathon route, over the 10 day race!

As I prepare for this extraordinary endeavour, I can’t help wondering, "Am I personally resilient enough? How will I cope with this challenge? Will I be able to put to good use all I’ve learned to ably support the athletes in surviving their ultra marathon?"

Join me to find out; I will be blogging & vlogging my adventure along the way --- when near civilisation, that is!

I volunteer and work closely with Red Horse Vale CFR team, a medical responders charity providing lifesaving support to our community in and around South Warwickshire; They, along with West Midlands Ambulance Service media team will also be sharing my progress.

I need your support to make this mission possible. Your generous contributions will help cover the costs associated with this extraordinary journey, including travel expenses, insurance, essential medical supplies, and specialised equipment required to survive the extreme cold.

If you would prefer to sponsor in another way, such as branded clothing... literally anything to help me stay warm... I would love to post pictures of me wearing it as part of the blog/vlog and social media! Just get in touch with me.

By joining me on this remarkable adventure, you become a vital part of a life-changing experience.

Your donation, no matter the size, is a significant step toward achieving our shared goal of promoting health, safety, and human resilience in one of the world's harshest environments.

My aim is to smash the fundraising target to give as much residual funding as possible to Red Horse Vale CFR Team, to support their life-saving activities ongoing!