First expedition to the South Pole by an amputee

Double-amputee Paralympian Cato Zahl Pedersen (Norway), who lost both his left arm and half his right arm in an accident at the age of 14, trekked from Berkner Island to the South Pole between November and December 1994, arriving at the pole on 28 December. He was accompanied by fellow Norwegians Odd Harald Hauge and Lars Ebbesen as part of the "Unarmed to the South Pole" expedition. The journey covered a distance of 1,400 km (870 mi) and lasted 56 days. Many within the polar exploration community consider Pedersen to be the first person with a disability overall to trek to the South Pole from the Antarctic coastline.

Each member of the expedition hauled a 120-kg (265-lb) sledge on the journey. and had to consume some 7,000 calories per day. The explorers reported that temperatures varied from -30°C (-22°F) down to -75°C (-103°F).

Track runner and skier Pedersen has won 14 medals at the Paralympics (13 gold, one silver) at both Winter and Summer Games. He has also climbed several challenging mountains including the 8,188-m (26,863-ft) Cho Oyu (in 2005) and an attempt at Everest in 2007 but had to turn back at 8,300 m (27,230 ft) due to poor weather.