Tom Smitheringale

An inspirational story about overcoming adversity and setting and surpassing extraordinary goals.

Founder and Director of Southpeak, Tom Smitheringale is an aspiring adventurer and explorer best known for his solo unsupported expedition to the North Pole in 2010, a feat that has only been achieved by 2 people in the history of polar exploration and one that is described by famous climber Reinhold Meissner as being “10 times more difficult than climbing Mt Everest”. An epic battle by one man against blizzards, bears and broken ice, covering 800km in under 60 days on the ice. Days out from completing his expedition he tragically fell through the ice and had to be rescued by the Canadian military. A ‘failure’ of epic proportions that would nearly cost him his life.

The experience of failure would take years to reconcile and has made Tom stronger, wiser and more humble and he continues to apply the lessons learned. Upon returning from the North Pole he would experience a paradigm shift spending the next 2 years living in Egypt through the Arab Spring becoming the first person to kayak solo the 1300km length of the Egyptian Nile from the Sudanese border to Cairo and trekking 1400km through the eastern Sahara on camels and on foot before being captured and imprisoned in a Libyan jail.
With a background in the British Army, Tom has worked extensively in hostile environments and has more recently spent the past 6 years working in West Africa as a Security Manager in the mining sector.

Through his passion for the outdoors and adventure, Tom has had the opportunity to travel and experience the world wearing many hats; personal trainer, outdoor event manager and race director, volunteer, safety advisor, security manager and hiking guide. Through all these transitions, one thing has been a constant: his love for adventure and the inner journey that accompanies it.

Since returning to Australia he has found much enjoyment in seeking challenge and a sense of community closer to his home in the coastal paradise of Esperance where he lives with his family, balancing Southpeak with his full-time job of being a parent and running their home based bakery, Bread Local.Tom has a penchant for hiking massive ridgeline traverses and in his down time can often be found close to home in the in Stirling Range’s.

Over the past 2 decades he has completed more than 50 crossings of the Ridge Walk in all conditions – including snow! Enriched by the tight community he inspires and focused on embracing the opportunities and challenges that come his way, Tom’s goals are set on both exploring new horizons and pushing his limits and the limits of those around him.

All profits from this event, including speaker fee will be donated to the Esperance Goldfields Surf Life saving Club.