Omar Samra Heads to the South Pole

Egyptian Adventurer one step closer to completing the Adventurers Grand Slam

By: Omneya Makhlouf

  Omar Samra — Egyptian adventurer, motivational speaker and an Egypt Today Person of the Year in 2013 — departed for the South Pole on December 14 on his quest to conquer the Adventurers Grand Slam. With the help of his newest sponsors, Samra plans on skiing approximately 120 km across the South Pole from the 89^th to the 90^th degree latitude. The Grand Slam, which only 35 people have completed thus far, includes climbing the seven highest summits of the world (one on each continent) and skiing across the two poles. Samra finished the last of his seven summits in May 2013, but until the Commercial International Bank (CIB) signed on as a backer, his quest had been stalled for lack of funding. “Sometimes getting to the starting point is harder than the expedition itself. This, by no means, means that reaching the South Pole is a done deal. It’s still a very difficult expedition and I may not make it but I hope that I’m well prepared for it,” Samra tells Egypt Today. “So definitely, getting sponsorship is a big milestone this year and hopefully reaching the South Pole will be another milestone at the end of the year.” On Sunday, Samra began his expedition by making his way to Punta Arenas, Chile, where he will fly to Antarctica on the Russian aircraft Illyusion, which is specifically designed to land on an icy runway. His first campsite will be Union Glacier followed by a trip to the 89^th degree where his equipment will be packed and ready to harness and make his way down South. On average, Samra will ski cross-country about eight to ten hours every day while dragging sleds of around 80kg in temperatures that can reach as low as minus 70 degrees Celsius. At the press conference announcing the trip, Samra, who has been training locally by dragging tires across the desert, admitted he had never been skiing before attending an intensive training camp in Zermatt, Switzerland about two weeks ago. After the South Pole leg, Samra will attempt to cross the North Pole in April 2015. The adventurer has also been selected to visit outer space with the Axe Apollo Space Competition; that journey is expected to launch in late 2015. “We, at CIB, are very proud that we are endorsing Omar and entering into a lifelong partnership with him,” said Hisham Khairat, CIB’s Head of Liabilities, at the press conference, “because he is a beautiful symbol to the Egyptian youth who are constantly trying to emulate him.” Khairat first met Samra in 2010 on a trek to climb Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro  in Tanzania. “The mountain was about six kilometers and it takes about 5-6 days to climb and two days to descend,” recalls Khairat, “Every person had their own personal goals of climbing the mountain, including Omar. This is why we believe in Omar Samra, and we will support him because he is pursuing his dreams.” Samra, who left a corporate career in 2009 to open his adventure travel company Wild Guanabana, said at the conference, “Personally, I’ve learned so much more from my adventures than I have from my academics and banking experience. What I’m trying to do is transfer those experiences and what I’ve learned to the maximum number of people that I can.” The adventurer has given more than 100 motivational speeches about his experiences to school children all around Egypt, and has set another goal for himself: “Next year, I’ll hopefully be able to reach all 28 governorates. I want to try to tell the youth about how to pursue your dreams and prepare to accomplish them and never to place a ceiling over those dreams.” Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, Chairman and Managing Director of CIB, acknowledged Samra’s commitment as a role model in a pre-trek statement. “CIB, being one of the leading banks in Egypt, has fundamental commitments towards the society and youth development. This is the core for country’s development on all levels and we should all invest in our talented Egyptian youth and acknowledge that they are the driving force of our economy and prosperity.” Samra’s Grand Slam quest is dedicated in part to raising awareness about children with mental disabilities. His mother had devoted her whole life to taking care of his two brothers, who have mental disabilities, and later became an activist in that area. His company, with the help of UN agencies, is planning to take people with mental disabilities on a trip to Mt. Saint Catherine in the Sinai. Samra adds, “People need to know that there’s no such thing as impossible.”