Destined for great things, Hannah's initial career was far more conventional than her eventual adventures in exploration. Born in Bristol, her first job was as a statistician for the Automobile Association, which she left after three years to pursue a career in theatre. She was the Marketing Manager then Head of Touring for the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, Berkshire and the all-male Shakespeare company Propeller for nearly 10 years. It wasn't until in 2004 that she first skied to the South Pole and then she decided to give up her job in theatre and in 2005 she sailed around the world in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
A year later in 2006, Hannah completed her record-breaking journey to the bottom of the planet, a 600-nautical-mile (1,100 km) excursion completed solo and in just 39 days, 9 hours and 33 minutes. Even though the record was broken in 2008 by American Todd Carmichael, she remains the fastest woman to complete the journey. She also holds the record for the skiing to the South Pole six times - more than any other adventurer in history. In recognition for her achievements, Hannah has received numerous accolades including in 2007 Cosmopolitan magazine Woman of Achievement Award, in 2009 she was invited to present the Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards and in 2018 she became the AITO Travel Writer of the Year.
Hannah’s determination, dedication, vitality and resourcefulness were elementary in her South Pole success. She believes that in order to overcome adversity, focus and positive visualisation are vital to surviving in the polar environment whether on your own or part of a team, an attribute she discusses in detail as a motivational speaker. Her inspirational story of peak performance, leaving your comfort zone, managing risk and effective teamwork is applicable to all businesses and across all sectors.
