Meet our Explorers

Steve Backshall is an English naturalist, explorer, writer and television presenter, best known for his BBC series Deadly 60. Steve began his career with National Geographic before joining the BBC in 2003, and his programmes have taken him on expeditions across the globe in search of wildlife and remote wild places. Steve received our Explorer of the Year honorary award in 2020 and is a much-value...

Ollie Phillips is a former England Rugby Sevens captain and World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, who led his team to success on the global stage. Since retiring from the sport, he has built a compelling second career as an entrepreneur and sought-after speaker, drawing on his experiences to inspire others on leadership, resilience, and high performance. He has sailed around the world, run marath...

Over the past two decades, Mark Beaumont has pushed the limits of endurance, spoken at thousands of events, and worked in over 100 countries. Amongst other Guinness World Records, he remains the fastest person to have cycled around the planet. Mark's passion for entrepreneurship takes him into a range of businesses, backing innovation and advising on growth. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with hi...

Levison Wood is a renowned explorer, writer, and photographer who has travelled to over 100 countries and authored 11 bestsellers. His major expeditions include walking the Nile, the Himalayas, Central America, and the Arabian Peninsula. He serves as Chancellor of Staffordshire University, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club, and is an ambassador for Leica and UNIC...

Lucy Shepherd goes where maps run out. A pioneering explorer, filmmaker, and writer, Lucy is driven by a commitment to reaching the truly uncharted - and to bringing those places back to life through film and the written word. Her work does more than document adventure; it inspires the next generation of scientists, explorers, and adventurers to look beyond the horizon and consider what might stil...

Preet Chandi, known to many as Polar Preet, is a British physiotherapist and retired Army officer who has quietly rewritten the record books. In January 2023, she completed the longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski journey ever recorded, breaking not one but two Guinness World Records in the process - becoming the first person of any gender to hold that title outright. An SES Honorary Award w...

Rosie Stancer is one of Britain's most formidable polar explorers - a woman who has spent decades pushing the boundaries of human endurance in some of the most hostile environments on Earth. From the All-Women North Pole Relay and the Millennium Women's South Pole Expedition, to solo speed records at both poles, Rosie has consistently redefined what is possible. Her expeditions span the globe: the...

We are the Scientific Exploration Society (SES), a British grant-giving charity dedicated to environmental discovery, protection and conservation.