The first black Briton to trek to the North Pole has set his sights on conquering Antarctica next spring.
Jamaican born Dwayne Fields of Stoke Newington, chose to become an explorer to turn his life around after getting into a fight and narrowly avoiding a street shooting.
Fields said: “For a good few months I was wondering what I could do. Then I saw a story about Ben Fogle and James Cracknell talking about their journey across the Atlantic, and that was the turning point for me.
“Following this they said that their next venture was to the South Pole. That was the moment it clicked for me. I thought if they could do it, I could do it too.”
If he succeeds in his next challenge, Fields will make history by becoming the first black Briton to reach the Pole.
Reflecting on his decision to do the 750-mile trek, Fields said: “It’s not something typically expected of my social demographic and I want to show everyone else what I am capable of.”
Assuming he manages to weather the deadly conditions and reach his destination, Fields plans to plant the British and Jamaican flags, take some pictures and “think of something intelligent or profound to say to the camera, and then have a long period of sleep.”
He hopes that his endeavours will allow him to challenge stereotypes and inspire people coming from deprived, inner city backgrounds to achieve great things.
So far Fields has raised a third of his £60,000 target through a variety of sources such as charity auctions and private donations.
The explorer wants to raise another £40,000 to share between two charities, the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice and African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust.
To donate to Dwayne’s campaign go to dwayne-fields.com.
