Catlin Sponsors Antarctic Trek by Wounded UK Military Veterans

A group of wounded servicemen and women who have begun an unprecedented expedition across Antarctica will be protected by insurance coverage underwritten by subsidiaries of Catlin Group Limited.

Catlin said it is “underwriting Personal Accident and related coverages to protect the servicemen and women participating in ‘Walking With The Wounded’s South Pole Allied Challenge;'” the third year it has done so.

The ‘challenge’ officially began on Sunday December 1, but the team has been delayed by a freak storm. Catlin said the Antarctic trek “features a team of wounded service personnel from the UK racing across the frozen Antarctic landscape, competing with similar teams from the United States and Commonwealth Nations (Australia and Canada).

“The members of the teams will wear a Catlin logo on the right sleeve of their parkas. All of the participants have received rigorous training to cope with the harsh environmental conditions they will face.”

One member of the team will assure that the operation gets maximum publicity, as Prince Henry [aka Harry] of Wales is the patron of the South Pole Allied Challenge and is participating in the start of the expedition as a demonstration of his support.

Catlin Head of Marketing John Carroll, who oversees the Group’s corporate responsibility activities, said: “We are again honored to be one of the sponsors of Walking With The Wounded’s annual expedition. As the sponsor of the Catlin Arctic Survey from 2009-2011, we at Catlin know how difficult it is for experienced explorers to cope with harsh polar conditions. The fact that individuals with significant disabilities would attempt to race across Antarctica is inspiring to say the least. “We at Catlin wish all of the teams the best of luck and good fortune as they begin their icy journey to the South Pole.”

During the South Pole Allied Challenge, all three teams will attempt to travel 334 km [208 miles] from Novolazarevskaya, a Russian-operated research station about 75 km [46.5 miles] from the Antarctic coast, to the South Pole. It will take an estimated 16 days for the teams to travel the distance.

Walking With The Wounded raises funds to train wounded, injured and sick UK servicemen and women, assisting them to find a career outside the military. The expeditions sponsored by Walking With The Wounded – which have included a trek to the North Pole in 2011 and an attempt to climb Mount Everest in 2012 – are carried out to increase awareness and to highlight the support needed by wounded service veterans.

Additional information is available at: http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/ .
Source: Catlin Group