The iconic #ExplorersClub has recognised WEM Founder Mark Hannaford as one of 50 people worldwide who is actively changing the world. With 400 nominations received from 48 countries, 12 judges composed of international Explorers Club members had the monumental decision to select just 12.5% of the women and men nominated for the inaugural Explorers Club 50 (EC50) program. Strict criteria and the following questions were considered:
- Does this candidate’s work involve an outstanding, innovative, and impactful mode of exploration and inspire a greater understanding of the world around us?
- Does their work impact the communities they live in, in innovative ways?
- Would this recognition help expand the definition of exploration and further promote the Club’s mission?
The extraordinary findings and stories can be read in this special edition of The Explorers Journal (Mark is on page 15).
Mark comments: “What an honour it is to be part of the prestigious #ExplorersClub and to be recognised as one of 50 people changing the world – thank you so much, Shawna Pandya, for my nomination.
I feel humbled by the outstanding contribution and work my fellow awardees are making to our society and it’s an honour to be counted amongst them. It’s such an eclectic and vigorous community of explorers, scientists and thought leaders – it is great to see Marc O’Griofa physician, aquanaut, fellow WEM faculty member and friend on the list too.
I feel privileged to have been invited to become an Explorers Club Fellow. It is also fantastic international recognition of World Extreme Medicine’s work in pushing the boundaries in expedition, wilderness, and remote medicine. Thank you.”
Richard Wiese President of The Explorers Club says: “I could not be more pleased with the group selected to represent this first class. Every honouree featured [here], as well as the hundreds of other nominees, are exploring, inspiring, and creating the future – the future of the planet, the future of food security, of palaeontology, of biology, what our communities should look like, and so much more. The EC50 was established to not only reflect the great diversity of exploration, but to give a voice to these trailblazing explorers, scientists, and activists doing incredible work.”
What is The Explorers Club?
Founded in New York City in 1904, The Explorers Club promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences.
Past members include astronaut Neil Armstrong, Peter Freuchen (Danish explorer who escaped an ice cave armed with his bare hands and frozen faeces), President Teddy Roosevelt, Sir Edmund Hillary (first to the summit of Mount Everest) and aviator Charles Lindbergh (first aviator to complete a solo transatlantic flight).
Today the prestigious Club has approximately 3,500 members representing every continent and in more than 60 countries, comprising 34 chapters around the globe; amongst them is astronaut Buzz Aldrin, primatologist Jane Goodall, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, film director James Cameron – and now Professor Mark Hannaford Extreme Medicine Pioneer, founder of World Extreme Medicine, Across the Divide Expeditions, MSc Extreme Medicine (Exeter University) and the world’s largest subject matter conference (#WEM21).