Meet the Expedition Leaders
During the expedition to the Pacific Ocean the eight adventurers will be guided by our two team leaders. Here you can find out more about them.
Ben Major
Expedition coordinator and leader, Serious Ocean
Ben has come from a military background having served with the British Army for 9 years. He is an experienced sailor, competing in two Fastnet races, and organising several round-the-world yacht races.
He is also an accomplished climber having climbed extensively in the world's great mountain ranges including ascents of Nanga Parbat, at 8125m the world's sixth highest mountain, Rakaposhi (7788m) in the Western Himalaya, Mt Elbrus in The Caucasus and The Matterhorn in The Alps.
Having left the Services, Ben was also based in Uganda where he was responsible for training game wardens in anti-poaching tactics and leading patrols against professional poaching units.
More recently he worked with Trekforce delivering jungle conservation projects in Borneo, Belize, Guatemala and Venezuela. He has also provided travel and security advice in hostile environments such as Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Darfur.
Ben has led over 25 expeditions worldwide in differing environments including countries as diverse as: Guyana, Norway, Indonesia, Yemen, Canada, Chad and Papua New Guinea.
Ben was selected as expedition leader for the Serious Arctic adventure in January 2004 and went on to set up and lead both the Serious Amazon and Serious Andes expeditions in 2005 and 2006.
Polly Murray
Assistant expedition leader, Serious Ocean
Polly was just 17 when she joined the British ski team, competing worldwide for four years.
She has sailed in some of the most extreme conditions on earth, and has been involved in several pioneering expeditions including crossings of two Arctic islands, which she reached by sailing from Greenland to Canada.
Polly is also a top climber, conquering peaks all over the world from Africa to Alaska, and at 26 became the first Scottish female to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
She's spent the last eight seasons working as an international ski instructor and during the summer months she specialises in working at great height - anything from repairing church spires to cleaning the windows of tall buildings!
Polly has been assistant leader on the two previous series, Serious Amazon and Serious Andes.
