16-Year-Old Female Explorer’s Epic Response To Internet Trolls

Image via jadehameister/Instagram

Jade Hameister, a 16-year-old Australian skier, became the youngest person to complete the Polar Hat Trick. She has traversed the North Pole, South Pole, and Greenland ice sheet.

In August 2016, Jade gave a talk on TEDx in Melbourne, giving inspiration to other young girls, telling them to ignore social pressures and follow their dreams.

“What if young women around the world were encouraged to be more, rather than less?” she said during her talk. “What if the focus shifted from how we appear, to the possibilities of what we can do?”

Even though she became the youngest person in history to ski to the North Pole in April 2016, her achievements didn’t stop the trolls from giving sexist comments such as “make me a sandwich”, a slogan used by male trolls to mock women to stay in the kitchen.

In June 2017, Jade broke the record again having skied across the Greenland icecap in 2017, unassisted and unsupported, the youngest woman ever to do so. On January 10, 2018, after a 37-day trip through the Antarctic, she completed her Polar expedition.

She took a photo at the Ceremonial South Pole holding a plate, writing, “I made you a sandwich (ham & cheese). Now ski 37 days and 600km to the South Pole and you can eat it,” her epic response to the sexist trolls.

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On the evening of the 10th Jan 2018 (morning of 11th AEST), we finally arrived at Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole after an epic 37 day journey from the Amundsen Coast via a new route through the Transantarctic Mountain Range. In doing so, my 1,300km journey on skis dragging a heavy sled to the frozen ends of the Earth chasing my Polar Hat Trick dream (North Pole, Greenland and South Pole) is now complete. Whilst these adventures were never about breaking records to me, over time I have learnt of the few I have broken along the way. In arriving at the Pole today (aged approx 16 and 7 months), I now have the privilege of being: The youngest person to ski coast to South Pole (unsupported and unassisted). The first woman to set a new route from the coast to the South Pole. The first Australian woman to ski coast to South Pole (unsupported and unassisted). The youngest person to ski to both Poles. The youngest person to complete the Polar Hat Trick. And the honour of being part of the first all-Australian team to set a new route from the coast to the South Pole. My guide, Eric Philips said this was the toughest trip in terms of weather conditions in his 25 years of polar guiding. The wind and extreme cold was relentless and brutal. So many stories, so many memories. I cannot thank the incredibly fun team I shared this journey with enough and everyone back home for your support. Here’s to a hot shower and some real food! #bravenotperfect #expandpossible #climatechange #jadesquest #thepolarhatrick #northpole #greenland #southpole #makemeasandwich #nationalgeographic #nationalgeographicapp @natgeo @natgeoau @australiangeographic

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