Ex-soldier dreams of Antarctic mountain adventure

Jordan Wylie says he will spend the rest of 2025 training for his three-week Antarctic expedition

A former soldier has promised to pose for a selfie on the summit of an Antarctic mountain while sporting the shirt of his beloved Blackpool FC.

Jordan Wylie, who is known for appearing in Channel 4's Hunted programme, will first have to ski for days across the deserted, ice-covered continent while towing all of his own equipment and supplies.

Wylie, who describes himself as a "proud Seasider", said he had "flown the tangerine flag" all over the world on previous adventures.

He said he wanted to conquer a "pristine, unclimbed mountain peak" both as a way of inspiring young people to protect the planet, and to overcome their own seemingly impossible challenges in life.

'Protect the wilderness'

"The mountain is an untouched giant in the Antarctic wilderness," he explained. "It's the coldest, windiest, driest continent on earth."

Wylie, who joined the Army aged 16, said his expedition would raise funds for the Army Cadet Charitable Trust UK.

He said the charity provided life-changing opportunities for children, especially those from deprived communities and challenging backgrounds.

"The kids spend a night on the side of a mountain and it's challenging, but they come back with a load of new skills and new mates," he said.

"I was a little tearaway from Grange Park, one of the biggest council estates in the country.

"I have seen, first hand, how coming from a challenging background you can easily end up on the wrong path because there are no other opportunities."

Jordan Wylie has been a national ambassador for the Army Cadets for the last six years

Wyle said he aimed to start his three-week excursion on 26 December, and planned to spend the rest of 2025 training and raising awareness of his trip.

"I am not the fittest, fastest or best," he said. "I am someone who believes if I put the work in I can do something."

Wylie left the Army after more than a decade and started to work in maritime security.

Looking back, though, he said he lost his "sense of purpose" and really struggled to cope with life outside of the military.

Following a mental health breakdown in 2015, Wylie said he decided to "use his spirit of adventure" to motivate the next generation.

"I want to inspire young people to embrace life's challenges and push beyond their perceived limits, while helping them learn more about how fragile our planet is and what they can do to protect it," he said.

'Get up and go'

He has since joined the cast of Hunted and has undertaken a number of challenges for charity, including climbing Kilimanjaro barefoot and running marathons in the world's coldest places.

Last year, he completed an "eco-triathlon" on a home-made wooden bike and a raft made from plastic bottles.

"I always try to do things and show the next generation if you work hard you can learn it," he said.

"I have my own mental health struggles, I take medication every day for depression and anxiety.

"Adventure with a purpose has given me that 'get up and go' that I lost in my life when I left the military."