Ann Bancroft

Born in 1955 in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, Bancroft’s love of the outdoors began early in life. Aside from the two years she spent with her family in Kenya, East Africa (in fifth and sixth grades), Bancroft was a student of Minnesota’s vast wilderness. Her parents often took her on camping and canoe trips in northern Minnesota. At age eight, she began to lead her own mini-expeditions, cajoling her cousins into accompanying her on backyard winter camping trips.

Her passion for exploring the natural world is matched by her enthusiasm for teaching. After earning a bachelor of science degree in physical education from the University of Oregon, Bancroft taught physical education and special education in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. schools and coached various high school sports.

Ann Bancroft is one of the world’s preeminent polar explorers and an internationally recognized leader. Through her various roles as explorer, educator, and sought-after speaker, she is dedicated to sharing the powerful stories of her expeditions with people worldwide to inspire them to pursue their goals and dreams.

Bancroft’s teamwork and leadership skills have undergone severe tests during her polar expeditions and provided her with opportunities to break down barriers and shatter female stereotypes. The tenacity and courage that define her character have earned Bancroft worldwide recognition as one of today’s most influential role models. She has been named among Glamour magazine’s “Women of the Year” (2001); featured in the book Remarkable Women of the Twentieth Century (1998); inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame (1995); named Ms. magazine’s “Woman of the Year” (1987); and honored with numerous other awards for her accomplishments.

An internationally known entity, Bancroft’s expeditions have been followed by BBC, CNN, National Public Radio, NBC Nightly News and NBC’s Today show. She also has been featured in Time, People, USA Today, Ms., McCall’s, Ladies Home Journal, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, Glamour, Health, National Geographic, Outside, Sports Illustrated, O, Oprah Magazine, and Working Mother.

Bancroft is a spokesperson for the Learning Disabilities Association, Wilderness Inquiry, and Girl Scouts of the USA. She serves on the board of Youth Frontiers, volunteers for the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and is a judge for the Nuclear-Free Future Awards. She is a trail-staff volunteer and co-chairs the capital campaign for Wilderness Inquiry. She also is on the advisory board of the Melpomene Institute.

Bancroft and Arnesen’s Antarctic expedition sparked yourexpedition, a company that offers organizations and individuals inspiration and guidance to succeed in life’s expeditions. Bancroft also founded and leads the Ann Bancroft Foundation, a non-profit that has programs that celebrate and ignite the potential in adolescent girls in Minnesota.

Bancroft lives outside of Minneapolis in Scandia, Minn. and is 48.

Major Accomplishments

- February 2001 — Bancroft and Norwegian polar explorer Liv Arnesen become the first women in history to ski and sail across Antarctica’s landmass—completing a 94-day, 1,717-mile (2,747 km) trek.
- 1993 — Bancroft leads the American Women’s Expedition (AWE) to the South Pole, a 67-day trek of 660 miles (1,060 km) on skis by four women. AWE becomes the first all-women expedition in history to cross the ice to the South Pole. Concurrently, Bancroft earns the distinction of the first woman in history to cross the ice to both the North and South Poles.
- 1992 — Bancroft leads the first American women’s east to west crossing of Greenland.
- 1986 — Bancroft dogsleds 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the Northwest Territories in Canada to the North Pole as the only female member of the Steger International Polar Expedition, becoming the first known woman in history to cross the ice to the North Pole.


Ann and Liv prepare to leave South Africa

Source:  http://www.yourexpedition.com/umbrella_pages/pressroom/annbio.shtml