Student set for Antarctica to spread treaty awareness
An art student from Bloxham will travel to the Antarctic as part of an expedition to help raise awareness of the Antarctic Treaty.
Oli Wheeldon, 19, was shortlisted as part of a team led by famous explorer Robert Swan OBE about two years ago, and has been raising the £13,000 needed for the two-week trip before he leaves on February 27.
Mr Wheeldon, who is doing a foundation diploma in Fine Art at Banbury’s Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, said: “Everything is going well at the moment, and it is really scary how the two years have flown by! I’ve had two really generous donations from Banbury Rotary Club and Banbury Charities, so am really looking forward to going.
“I am talking to lots of people on Facebook and there are some people from Oman that are using a fridge to get used to the conditions out there!”
Mr Wheeldon will meet up with other members of the team in Rome before jetting out to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina. The group will then depart from the town on boat.
The Antarctic Treaty currently protects Antarctica from commercial mining and exploitation. It ends in 2041 and Mr Swan’s team is working to spread awareness of this and stimulate action so that the world is not so dependent on fossil fuels.
Mr Wheeldon said: “I hope I can look back on this and know I did not waste this opportunity. It is going to be quite exciting being on the bottom of the world.”
To make a donation, visit www.gofundme.com/1pc8z4
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Weather for Banbury
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 14 C
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