ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ray Zahab - Endurance runner
In January 2009, Ray Zahab broke the record for fastest unsupported trek across Antarctica, to raise awareness and money for kids' environmental education. In 2006, he ran across the Sahara to raise awareness of water shortages. (He started running 5 years ago.)

Why you should listen

Extreme runner Ray Zahab and his Impossible2Possible team make a habit of dropping jaws. A month before TED2009, he made the fastest unsupported trip to the South Pole on foot and snowshoes. Trekking in moon boots, while his partners Kevin Vallely and Richard Weber skiied alongside, Zahab liveblogged the trip for an audience of schoolchildren to raise awareness of the Antarctic environment.

He's the author of Running for My Life, a story of his metamorphosis from a pack-a-day smoker to an endurance athlete capable of such extreme feats as a 7,500 kilometer run across the Sahara. His treks are driven by an intense personal feeling for the environment; the Sahara trek, for instance, highlighted the worldwide challenge of water.

Ray is the founder of Impossible2Possible, and sits on the board of directors of the Ryan's Well Foundation and ONExONE Foundation. In September 2009, he and Impossible2Possible are planning a trek through Akshayuk Pass in Auyuittuq National Park on Canada's Baffin Island. His team includes 5 student adventurers; the entire trip will be part of an educational resource.

More profile about the speaker
Ray Zahab | Speaker | TED.com
TED2009

Ray Zahab: My trek to the South Pole

雷·赞哈比的南极苦旅

Filmed:
357,385 views

极限跑者雷赞哈布分享他徒步远征打破南极步行纪录的激情体验 -- 一个穿越暴雪的33天冲刺。
- Endurance runner
In January 2009, Ray Zahab broke the record for fastest unsupported trek across Antarctica, to raise awareness and money for kids' environmental education. In 2006, he ran across the Sahara to raise awareness of water shortages. (He started running 5 years ago.) Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
A month ago today今天
0
0
2000
一个月前的今天
00:14
I stood站在 there:
1
2000
2000
我在这那里。
00:16
90 degrees south, the top最佳 of
2
4000
2000
南纬90度,
00:18
the bottom底部 of the world世界, the Geographic地理 South Pole.
3
6000
2000
在世界底部的顶端,地理位置上的南极之端。
00:20
And I stood站在 there beside two very good friends朋友 of mine,
4
8000
3000
和我一起的还有我两个最好的朋友,
00:23
Richard理查德 Weber韦伯 and Kevin凯文 Vallely门头沟.
5
11000
2000
理查德韦伯和凯文维勒利
00:25
Together一起 we had just broken破碎 the world世界 speed速度 record记录
6
13000
3000
我们一起打破了
00:28
for a trek跋涉 to the South Pole.
7
16000
2000
徒步穿越南极的世界最快纪录。
00:30
It took us 33 days,
8
18000
2000
用时33天,
00:32
23 hours小时 and 55 minutes分钟 to get there.
9
20000
4000
23个小时55分钟。
00:36
We shaved剃光 five days off the previous以前 best最好 time.
10
24000
4000
比上次最快纪录提前了5天。
00:40
And in the process处理, I became成为 the first person in history历史
11
28000
3000
在这个过程中,我成为历史上第一个
00:43
to make the entire整个 650-mile-英里 journey旅程,
12
31000
2000
完成整个六百五十英里旅程的人,
00:45
from Hercules大力神 Inlet进口 to South Pole,
13
33000
3000
从大力士站到南极,
00:48
solely独自 on feet, without skis滑雪板.
14
36000
3000
徒步,不用雪橇。
00:51
Now, many许多 of you are probably大概 saying, "Wait a sec,
15
39000
2000
现在,你们中的很多人大概会问,"等等,
00:53
is this tough强硬 to do?"
16
41000
3000
这很难吗?"
00:56
(Laughter笑声)
17
44000
1000
(笑)
00:57
Imagine想像, if you will,
18
45000
2000
想像一下,如果你将要
00:59
dragging拖延 a sled雪橇, as you just saw in that video视频 clip,
19
47000
2000
想视频里的那样,拖动一个雪橇,
01:01
with 170 pounds英镑 of gear齿轮,
20
49000
3000
上面有重达170磅的行李,
01:04
in it everything you need to survive生存 on your Antarctic南极洲 trek跋涉.
21
52000
3000
里面装的是你在南极苦旅重所需的所有工具。
01:07
It's going to be 40 below下面, every一切 single day.
22
55000
2000
每一天都将是零下40度,
01:09
You'll你会 be in a massive大规模的 headwind逆风.
23
57000
2000
你将迎风前进。
01:11
And at some point you're going to have to cross交叉 these cracks裂缝 in the ice,
24
59000
3000
有些时候你还必须去越过这些冰上的裂缝,
01:14
these crevasses裂缝.
25
62000
2000
这些裂缝。
01:16
Some of them have a very precarious危险的 thin footbridge人行天桥 underneath them
26
64000
3000
有些裂缝的下面就是岌岌可危的薄天桥
01:19
that could give way at a moment's片刻的 notice注意,
27
67000
2000
这些可以给你一个大概的印象,
01:21
taking服用 your sled雪橇, you, into the abyss深渊, never to be seen看到 again.
28
69000
5000
拽着雪橇,你,在深渊中,在也不会被别人看到。
01:26
The punchline妙处 to your journey旅程? Look at the horizon地平线.
29
74000
3000
这个旅途的重点是什么?看看地平线。
01:29
Yes, it's uphill上坡 the entire整个 way,
30
77000
2000
没错,整个就是一次艰难的旅行。
01:31
because the South Pole is at 10,000 feet,
31
79000
2000
因为南极位于10000英尺的地方
01:33
and you're starting开始 at sea level水平.
32
81000
4000
而你要从海平面出发。
01:37
Our journey旅程 did not, in fact事实, begin开始 at Hercules大力神 Inlet进口,
33
85000
2000
实际上我们的旅途不是从大力士站开始的,
01:39
where frozen冻结的 ocean海洋 meets符合 the land土地 of Antarctica南极洲.
34
87000
3000
在从冻海和南极土地接壤的地方。
01:42
It began开始 a little less than two years年份 ago.
35
90000
2000
大概就在不到两年之前。
01:44
A couple一对 of buddies哥儿们 of mine and I
36
92000
2000
我和我的一群伙伴
01:46
had finished a 111-day-天 run across横过 the entire整个 Sahara撒哈拉 desert沙漠.
37
94000
4000
刚跑完了为时111天的撒哈拉大沙漠穿越。
01:50
And while we were there we learned学到了
38
98000
2000
在那里我们体会到了
01:52
the seriousness严肃 of the water crisis危机 in Northern北方 Africa非洲.
39
100000
3000
南非严重的水危机。
01:55
We also learned学到了 that many许多 of the issues问题 facing面对 the people of Northern北方 Africa非洲
40
103000
3000
我们也学到了南非人民所要面对的众多问题
01:58
affected受影响 young年轻 people the most.
41
106000
4000
尤其是年轻人所遇到的。
02:02
I came来了 home to my wife妻子 after 111 days of running赛跑 in the sand,
42
110000
3000
当我完成了111天的沙漠慢跑回到家中,回到我妻子的身边。
02:05
and I said, "You know, there's no doubt怀疑 if this bozo笨蛋 can get across横过 the desert沙漠,
43
113000
3000
我说道,"你知道,毫无疑问,如果这个波座民族可以跨越沙漠
02:08
we are capable of doing anything we set our minds头脑 to."
44
116000
4000
我们就可以干我们想干的任何事情。"
02:12
But if I'm going to continue继续 doing these adventures冒险, there has to be
45
120000
2000
但是如果我要继续这些冒险,就必须要有
02:14
a reason原因 for me to do them
46
122000
2000
坚持下去的动力
02:16
beyond just getting得到 there.
47
124000
3000
而不仅仅只是到达那里。
02:19
Around that time I met会见 an extraordinary非凡 human人的 being存在,
48
127000
3000
那时侯我遇到了一个了不起的人,
02:22
Peter彼得 Thum图姆, who inspired启发 me with his actions行动.
49
130000
2000
彼得图姆,就是他用他的行为启发了我。
02:24
He's trying to find and solve解决 water issues问题, the crisis危机 around the world世界.
50
132000
4000
他正在试图找到解决全球水危机的方法。
02:28
His dedication贡献 inspired启发 me to come up with this expedition远征:
51
136000
3000
他的奉献和投入启发了我的这次远征。
02:31
a run to the South Pole
52
139000
2000
一个南极漫步,
02:33
where, with an interactive互动 website网站,
53
141000
2000
同时,一个互动的网站,
02:35
I will be able能够 to bring带来 young年轻 people, students学生们 and teachers教师 from around the world世界
54
143000
3000
我将和全世界的年轻人,学生和老师
02:38
on board the expedition远征 with me,
55
146000
2000
一起出发,
02:40
as active活性 members会员.
56
148000
2000
大家都是这次活动的成员。
02:42
So we would have a live生活 website网站, that every一切 single day of the 33 days,
57
150000
4000
所以我们将会有一个互动的有趣的网站,在33天中的每一天里,
02:46
we would be blogging写博客, telling告诉 stories故事 of,
58
154000
3000
我们会写博客,讲一些故事,
02:49
you know, depleted耗尽 ozone臭氧 forcing迫使 us to cover our faces面孔,
59
157000
3000
你知道的,耗竭的臭氧层,被迫我们遮盖住我们的脸,
02:52
or we will burn烧伤.
60
160000
3000
要不然我们就像被点燃一般。
02:55
Crossing路口 miles英里 and miles英里 of sastrugisastrugi --
61
163000
2000
穿过一里又一里的冰脊 --
02:57
frozen冻结的 ice snowdrifts雪堆 that could be hip-deep臀部深.
62
165000
4000
穿过半身深的冰冷冰山。
03:01
I'm telling告诉 you, crossing路口 these things with 170-pound-磅 sled雪橇,
63
169000
2000
我来告诉你吧,带着170磅的雪橇穿越这些地理环境,
03:03
that sled雪橇 may可能 as well have weighed称重 1,700 pounds英镑,
64
171000
2000
就像带着1700磅的雪橇一样,
03:05
because that's what it felt like.
65
173000
2000
因为我们感觉他们就像那样一般重。
03:07
We were blogging写博客 to this live生活 website网站 daily日常
66
175000
2000
我们每天通过网站写博客
03:09
to these students学生们 that were tracking追踪 us as well,
67
177000
2000
写给那些在关注我们的学生,
03:11
about 10-hour-小时 trekking徒步旅行 days,
68
179000
2000
每天10个小时、
03:13
15-hour-小时 trekking徒步旅行 days,
69
181000
2000
15个小时的苦行,
03:15
sometimes有时 20 hours小时 of trekking徒步旅行 daily日常 to meet遇到 our goal目标.
70
183000
5000
有时候为了达到目标我们必须坚持20个小时。
03:20
We'd星期三 catch抓住 cat-naps猫小睡 at 40 below下面 on our sled雪橇, incidentally顺便.
71
188000
4000
顺便提一句。我们也会在零下49度的环境下在我们的雪橇里打个盹。
03:24
In turn, students学生们,
72
192000
2000
学生们、
03:26
people from around the world世界, would ask us questions问题.
73
194000
2000
全世界的人,都会问我们一些问题。
03:28
Young年轻 people would ask the most amazing惊人 questions问题.
74
196000
2000
年轻人会问到一些最奇妙的问题。
03:30
One of my favorite喜爱: It's 40 below下面, you've got to go to the bathroom浴室,
75
198000
4000
我最喜欢的一个是: 在零下40度里,你必须去上厕所,
03:34
where are you going to go and how are you going to do it?
76
202000
2000
你会去哪,以及你怎样去解决?
03:36
I'm not going to answer回答 that. But I will answer回答 some of the more popular流行 questions问题.
77
204000
4000
我不会在这回答。但是我会回答一些更多被提及的问题。
03:40
Where do you sleep睡觉? We slept in a tent帐篷 that was very low to the ground地面,
78
208000
3000
我们在哪睡觉?我们在一个十分靠近地面的帐篷里睡觉。
03:43
because the winds on Antarctica南极洲 were so extreme极端, it would blow打击 anything else其他 away.
79
211000
4000
因为南极的风是如此之大,会把所有其他的东西都刮走。
03:47
What do you eat? One of my favorite喜爱 dishes碗碟 on expedition远征:
80
215000
3000
我们吃什么?这是我远征的招牌菜之一,
03:50
butter牛油 and bacon培根. It's about a million百万 calories卡路里.
81
218000
3000
黄油加熏肉,它大约100万卡路里。
03:53
We were burning燃烧 about 8,500 a day,
82
221000
2000
我们每天要消耗掉8500卡路里。
03:55
so we needed需要 it.
83
223000
3000
所用我们需要它。
03:58
How many许多 batteries电池 do you carry携带 for all the equipment设备 that you have?
84
226000
3000
你们要为所有的设备带上多少个电池?
04:01
Virtually实质上 none没有. All of our equipment设备, including包含 film电影 equipment设备,
85
229000
3000
实际上没有。所有的设备,包括录像器材,
04:04
was charged带电 by the sun太阳.
86
232000
2000
都是靠太阳提供能量。
04:06
And do you get along沿? I certainly当然 hope希望 so,
87
234000
3000
还有你们相处的好吗?我当然希望是这样。
04:09
because at some point or another另一个 on this expedition远征,
88
237000
2000
因为在这次的远征里,我们必须时不时的
04:11
one of your teammates队友 is going to have to take a very big needle,
89
239000
2000
拿一个巨大的针头刺进队友
04:13
and put it in an infected感染 blister起泡, and drain排水 it for you.
90
241000
3000
感染的水泡里,然后把积水抽出来。
04:16
But seriously认真地, seriously认真地, we did get along沿,
91
244000
3000
但是,真的,真的,我们相处的很好。
04:19
because we had a common共同 goal目标 of wanting希望 to inspire启发 these young年轻 people.
92
247000
3000
因为我们都有去启发青年人的共同的目标。
04:22
They were our teammates队友! They were inspiring鼓舞人心 us.
93
250000
3000
他们就是我的队友!他们也在启发着我们。
04:25
The stories故事 we were hearing听力 got us to the South Pole.
94
253000
4000
我们所听到的故事支持着我们到达了南极。
04:29
The website网站 worked工作 brilliantly出色 as a two-way双向 street of communication通讯.
95
257000
3000
网站双向沟通运作的十份不错。
04:32
Young年轻 people in northern北方 Canada加拿大, kids孩子 in an elementary初级 school学校,
96
260000
3000
南加拿大的小学学生,
04:35
dragging拖延 sleds雪橇 across横过 the school-yard校园,
97
263000
3000
拽着雪橇通过校园,
04:38
pretending假装 they were Richard理查德, Ray射线 and Kevin凯文. Amazing惊人.
98
266000
4000
假装着他们是理查德,雷和凯文。真是美妙。
04:42
We arrived到达 at the South Pole. We huddled into that tent帐篷,
99
270000
3000
我们到达了南极后。我们挤入了那个帐篷,
04:45
45 below下面 that day, I'll never forget忘记 it.
100
273000
3000
那天是零下45度,我一辈子都不会忘记。
04:48
We looked看着 at each other with these looks容貌
101
276000
3000
我们看这对方的脸上
04:51
of disbelief怀疑 at what we had just completed完成.
102
279000
4000
都显现出不相信我们已经完成了的表情。
04:55
And I remember记得 looking at the guys thinking思维,
103
283000
2000
然后我记得我当时看了看他们,想
04:57
"What do I take from this journey旅程?" You know? Seriously认真地.
104
285000
3000
"我在旅途中学到什么?"你知道?真的。
05:00
That I'm this uber-endurance尤伯杯耐力 guy?
105
288000
4000
我这有着市区耐力般的家伙?
05:04
As I stand here today今天 talking to you guys,
106
292000
2000
我今天站在这里和大家交流,
05:06
I've been running赛跑 for the grand盛大 sum of five years年份.
107
294000
2000
总共算起来我这已经跑了5年。
05:08
And a year before that I was a pack-a-day包-A-天 smoker抽烟者,
108
296000
4000
在这几年前,我每天抽一包烟。
05:12
living活的 a very sedentary久坐不动 lifestyle生活方式.
109
300000
2000
过着亚健康的生活。
05:14
What I take from this journey旅程, from my journeys旅程,
110
302000
3000
我在旅途中,所有旅途中学到的,
05:17
is that, in fact事实,
111
305000
2000
那就是,
05:19
within every一切 fiber纤维 of my belief信仰 standing常设 here,
112
307000
3000
我和我每一个信念共同站在这,
05:22
I know that we can make the impossible不可能 possible可能.
113
310000
3000
我知道我们可以把不可能的做到可能。
05:25
I'm learning学习 this at 40.
114
313000
3000
我在40岁学到了这个。
05:28
Can you imagine想像? Seriously认真地, can you imagine想像?
115
316000
4000
你可以想像到吗?真的,你可以想像到吗?
05:32
I'm learning学习 this at 40 years年份 of age年龄.
116
320000
2000
我在40岁的时候在学这些。
05:34
Imagine想像 being存在 13 years年份 old,
117
322000
2000
想像下一个13岁的孩子,
05:36
hearing听力 those words, and believing相信 it.
118
324000
3000
听到这些话,然后相信它们。
05:39
Thank you very much. Thank you.
119
327000
2000
十分感谢你们,谢谢。
05:41
(Applause掌声)
120
329000
6000
掌声
Translated by Halei Liu
Reviewed by Yvonne Fu

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ray Zahab - Endurance runner
In January 2009, Ray Zahab broke the record for fastest unsupported trek across Antarctica, to raise awareness and money for kids' environmental education. In 2006, he ran across the Sahara to raise awareness of water shortages. (He started running 5 years ago.)

Why you should listen

Extreme runner Ray Zahab and his Impossible2Possible team make a habit of dropping jaws. A month before TED2009, he made the fastest unsupported trip to the South Pole on foot and snowshoes. Trekking in moon boots, while his partners Kevin Vallely and Richard Weber skiied alongside, Zahab liveblogged the trip for an audience of schoolchildren to raise awareness of the Antarctic environment.

He's the author of Running for My Life, a story of his metamorphosis from a pack-a-day smoker to an endurance athlete capable of such extreme feats as a 7,500 kilometer run across the Sahara. His treks are driven by an intense personal feeling for the environment; the Sahara trek, for instance, highlighted the worldwide challenge of water.

Ray is the founder of Impossible2Possible, and sits on the board of directors of the Ryan's Well Foundation and ONExONE Foundation. In September 2009, he and Impossible2Possible are planning a trek through Akshayuk Pass in Auyuittuq National Park on Canada's Baffin Island. His team includes 5 student adventurers; the entire trip will be part of an educational resource.

More profile about the speaker
Ray Zahab | Speaker | TED.com