Ann Bancroft is the first woman in history to cross the ice
to the North and South Poles. In 1986, Ann Bancroft dogsledded 1,000 miles
(1,600 km) from the Northwest Territories in Canada to the North Pole as the
only female member of the Steger International Polar Expedition. In 1993, she
led the American Women's Expedition to the South Pole, a 67-day expedition of
660 miles (1,060 km) on skis by four women.
Born in 1955 in Mendota Heights, Minn., Ann Bancroft's love
of the outdoors began early in life. Aside from the two years she spent with her
family in Kenya, East Africa (in fifth and sixth grades), Ann Bancroft was a
student of Minnesota's vast wilderness. Her father often took her on camping and
canoe trips in northern Minnesota. At age eight, she began to lead her own
mini-expeditions, cajoling her cousins into accompanying her on backyard winter
camping trips. Ann Bancroft's passion for polar adventures is matched by her
enthusiasm for teaching children.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physical
education from the University of Oregon, Ann Bancroft taught physical and
special education in Minneapolis schools and coached softball, basketball, track
and field, volleyball, and tennis. She also is an instructor for Wilderness
Inquiry, an organization that helps disabled and able-bodied individuals enjoy
the wilderness year round.
Ann Bancroft's other achievements include founding and
leading the Ann Bancroft Foundation, a non-profit organization that celebrates
the existing and potential achievements of women and girls. She has been
featured in the book Remarkable Women of the Twentieth Century (1998); inducted
into the National Women's Hall of Fame (1995); named Ms. magazine's "Woman of
the Year" (1987); and honored with numerous awards for her accomplishments.
Most recently, Ann Bancroft, who was diagnosed with dyslexia
as a child, appeared in Ennis' Gift, a documentary about learning
differences produced by the Ennis Cosby Foundation, featuring celebrities who
have dealt with learning disabilities, such as James Earl Jones, Henry Winkler,
Danny Glover, and Bruce Jenner. With Ann Bancroft's polar expeditions have come
severe tests of teamwork and leadership, as well as opportunities to shatter
female stereotypes, making her a sought-after speaker and seminar leader on
these topics among corporations, schools, and non-profit organizations.
