Sir Ranulph Fiennes
World-Renowned Explorer, Adventurer, Motivational Speaker and Record-Breaking Polar and Endurance Pioneer
Sir Ranulph Fiennes is a world-renowned explorer, adventurer, author, and motivational speaker. Celebrated as the “World’s Greatest Living Explorer,” he has set more than a dozen global exploration records, including first crossings of both polar oceans, the longest unsupported Antarctic journey, and the first circumnavigation along the polar axis. He inspires audiences with his extraordinary achievements in exploration, resilience, and leadership.
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Sir Ranulph Fiennes, widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest living explorers, has spent decades redefining the limits of human endurance and exploration. Born in the UK in 1944, just after his father was killed in World War II, he was raised in South Africa before returning to the UK to attend Eton College. After a brief stint failing A-Levels, he joined the Royal Scots Greys during the Cold War and later became the youngest captain in the British Army with the SAS in 1965/1966. He was awarded the Sultan of Oman’s Bravery Medal for combat against Marxist terrorists (1968–1970).
From 1984–1990, Ranulph served as Vice President of PR and Adviser for Western Europe to the Chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corp, before fully committing to his life of exploration. Together with his wife and childhood sweetheart Ginnie Pepper, whom he married in 1970, he undertook a series of record-breaking expeditions that placed him at the forefront of global exploration for more than three decades.
Major achievements include:
- First to reach both the North and South Poles (with Charles Burton)
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First to cross the Antarctic and Arctic Oceans (with Charles Burton)
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First circumnavigation of the world along its polar axis, a three-year, 52,000-mile journey involving meticulous planning, 1,900 sponsors and a 52-person team, never successfully repeated
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First hovercraft expedition up the Nile River (1968/1969)
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World record for unsupported northerly polar travel (1990)
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Discovery of the lost city of Ubar on the Yemeni border (1992)
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Longest unsupported crossing of the Antarctic Continent (1992/1993, with Mike Stroud)
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7x7x7 Challenge: seven marathons in seven consecutive days on all seven continents, three and a half months after a massive heart attack and double bypass (2003)
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Multiple Everest expeditions (2005, 2008, 2009), raising over £6.2 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care and other charities
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Oldest Briton to complete the Marathon des Sables and to summit Everest at the time
Sir Ranulph’s courage, determination and leadership have earned him numerous awards and accolades.
He holds multiple honorary degrees and fellowships from leading universities across the UK, including Loughborough University, University of Portsmouth, University of Glasgow, University of Sheffield, Abertay University, Plymouth University, and more.
Sir Ranulph is also a prolific author, sharing his adventures and life lessons through books, lectures and media appearances. He continues to inspire audiences worldwide with his extraordinary achievements in exploration, endurance, and leadership.
