Michele Pontrandolfo

About

Polar explorer since 1998. His activities have always been versatile, from rock and ice climbing, to mountain running and ski mountaineering. Over many years, he has succeeded in forming a character and a confidence that have helped him to overcome even the most emotionally difficult moments.
Born in Pordenone in 1971, he has spent his life training for polar expeditions, with a purely explorative ethic, and to date, he holds 14 world records: Greenland, Iceland, Arctic Ocean, North Magnetic Pole, Patagonia, Southern Patagonian Ice Field, Ellesmere Island, Svalbard, and North Geomagnetic Pole.

Mission

Michele Pontrandolfo is known to some as the “white desert man” and his ambition is to become the first man to reach both poles in solitary.

“People who practise the sport today should try to achieve important goals without misconduct. As well as achieving competitive aims, athletes need to achieve respect to others, to show maturity as humans.
It is our duty to start with our young people, teaching them to appreciate the very essence of sporting passion, helping them to increase their desire to grow in a fair environment where sport is life and where those wanting to bring arrogance and presumption into the mix will end up isolated and alone. It’s not victory or defeat that count. What really counts is giving everything you can, all your strength and energy, to achieving your goal.
The losers are the ones who don’t play fair... Humility and sacrifice are the virtues that make a sportsman a great man in life.”