Ocean Medicine | Plymouth | May 2020

Alex qualified as a doctor in 1994 from Cambridge University and St Bartholomew’s in London, then worked in anaesthetics, intensive care, emergency medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, eventually becoming a GP in South Devon. Alex started rock climbing and mountaineering at the age of 14, and travelled to Iceland on his first expedition in 1988. Since then he has travelled the world extensively, including working as the medic looking after groups of people adventuring in Patagonia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Iceland, Poland, Greece, The Czech Republic and Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya and the Sahara Desert.

Alex works a portfolio career as Medical Director for World Extreme Medicine. He is responsible for course development, academic content and delivery, and working with the University of Exeter Medical School as an Honorary Clinical Lecturer developing the Post Graduate Masters programme in Extreme Medicine. His additional roles include Locum GP, Consultant Physician Advisor for United Healthcare Remote Medics, and in his spare time works with South Western Ambulance Service as a Pre Hospital Care BASICS doctor.

He has over ten years of experience in maritime search and rescue operations, working as navigator, helmsman and medic aboard RNLI lifeboats. This volunteer work with the RNLI started after many years of dinghy sailing, progressing to offshore sailing. Alex also has many years of experience in ski trekking and back country skiing, with some of his favourite bed time reading being about snow pack and avalanche theory.

Charlie Rowland

Nikki McLeary

Laura Penhaul

Ian Couch

Nuala Moore 

Nuala spent the last 13 years involved in expeditions extreme cold water; The Bering Strait Relay from Russia to the USA, Round Ireland Swim 1,330km relay and South of Cape Horn. Nuala has been exposed to all areas of risk and extreme low temperatures. The last five years, with Russian medical teams, she has opened up thinking to the physiological challenges of cold water swimming.

In 2016 she wrote a manual ‘Insights into the world of Ice Swimming’ and has continued to educate on Ice safety. Nuala was the first Irish swimmer and the 6th woman in the world to complete 1000m at 0 deg. in 2013. With a background in rescue services plus 2 decades as a PADI Professional, safety is everything where risk is concerned. Nuala founded the Ocean Triple R (Remote Recovery Rescue) Emergency Care in 2018. This is an interagency concept, a platform where rescue services, providers, athletes and medical personal can work together and increase awareness of the risks and challenges presented by a cold water environment.

Dave Pearce

Dave travelled the globe during his 25 years as a Royal Marine Commando and in his current profession of 14 years as a media safety consultant/producer. Working in extreme and hostile environments alongside personalities such as Bear Grylls and Barack Obama, he has also worked extensively in the security industry providing close protection for A list celebrities and VIPs. Having trained and been deployed in the role of a Commando Combat Physical Training Instructor he achieved the rank of Senior Warrant Officer at the close of his military career.

An Everest summiteer and published author, he now trains private clients in the areas of diplomacy, resilience, teamwork and leadership. Although he most recently worked with Nat Geo Productions, Netflix Productions and with Harry Styles on his latest music video… his feet are kept firmly on the ground by a wife, three daughters and his commitments to the Sidmouth Lifeboat Crew.

Rosie Alterman

Rosie Alterman is an ED Middle-Grade Doctor in Exeter, UK, and one of the Fellows of the MSc in Extreme Medicine, run in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School. Whilst maybe not the most extreme location, there is certainly an abundance of water-related accidents and emergencies to keep her busy! She is also a crew member on the Teignmouth Lifeboat, as well as a Lifeboat Medical Advisor, providing medical training to the rest of the team.

She grew up in New Zealand and so the sea has always been a part of her life – from swimming to surfing to water-skiing to kitesurfing – she’s given them a go, with varying levels of success but high levels of enthusiasm.  She’s also a keen ironman triathlete, with a particular interest in the physiology of women undertaking ultra-endurance events. The next challenge is rowing the Atlantic in 2020, because…why not!?

Mark Hannaford 

Mark is an honorary associate professor at the University of Exeter Medical School and is the founding director of World Extreme Medicine and Across the Divide Expeditions and a Fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Arts. Mark has been involved with expeditions for over 30 years and has led and organised expeditions to all of the world’s continents, both in desert  and marine environments but also in both polar regions, at altitude and in the world’s most remote corners.  Mark is also an award-winning photographer with images published in the Sunday Times, Telegraph, Rough Guides and National Geographic.