Firefighter, Olympian and Spy picked by Antarctic Trust to ski to South Pole

Antarctica: Norwegian Intelligence Analyst Marthe Brendefur will be joining the New Zealand team heading south. Photo / Supplied

A firefighter, Kiwi Olympian and a spy are among a small team heading to the bottom of the world by skis.

The Antarctic Heritage Trust has announced a team of young explorers it intends to take on its South Pole expedition.

28-year-old Laura Andrews, a firefighter at Auckland Airport, will join two-time olympic athlete Mike Dawson as the New Zealand participants on an international expedition hoping to reach the South Pole by foot.

This summer they will undertake a journey of 1000km, under human power and carrying provisions.

Laura Andrews from Auckland will be joining the expedition South. Photo / Supplied

Marking 150 years since the birth of Roald Amundsen, the first person to reach the geographic South Pole, the Inspiring Explorers Expedition held an open call for applicants wanting to follow in the explorer's tracks.

Andrews, who says she wasn't a naturally sporty kid, said she

She called it "an incredible opportunity to expand my horizons and explore the extent of human physical and mental limitations."

Open to young explorers from New Zealand and Norway, Andrews and Dawson will be "representing New Zealand on the world stage," says the Trust.

Kiwi Olympian Mike Dawson will be joining the Antarctic Expedition. Photo / Supplied

Joining them is Marthe Brendefur, Norway's answer to James Bond. The "Intelligence Analyst" and ex-Norwegian Armed Forces member, she skied across the Greenland ice cap in 2019 and has traversed the scandinavian high plateau at Finnmarksvidda and Hardangervidda.

"I love that it is a joint endeavour, as I believe that cooperation across nations is imperative to protect the polar regions," said Brendefur who looked forward to joining her Kiwi teammates.

Expedition member Marthe Brendefur has skied across Greenland and the Norwegian Arctic. Photo / Supplied

Her participation was announced via Norwegian and Brendefur will be filming the expedition for a short documentary.

Having chosen the select team from an open call for young explorers, executive director Nigel Watson said the AHT were overwhelmed by the quality of applicants.

"It is important people embody the spirit of explorers like Amundsen, are excited to be part of this incredible journey and are willing to share their transformational journey, and the Trust's mission, with others," he says.

Led by Norwegian polar guide Bengt Rotmo and Nigel Watson the expedition is a partnership between Ousland Explorers and supported by ALE.

Departing in November the team will take around 40 days to reach the Geographic South Pole.

The sixth such Inspiring Explorers Expedition and its most ambitious to date, previous adventures have taken New Zealanders to South Georgia, Greenland and the Antarctic Peninsula.