Welcome
Mike Stroud is a Hospital Consultant Physician but is perhaps best known for his record-breaking expeditions with Sir Ranulph Fiennes. He is a world authority on human endurance and nutrition and amongst the most well known expedition scientists, his research is used globally. Mike holds many advisory roles in UK Healthcare particularly leading the efforts by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) to ensure that 'optimal nutrition and hydration lie at the heart of 'Quality Care'.
Mike qualified as a doctor in London in 1979 and then spent ten years in a variety of hospital posts interspersed with far reaching expeditions and travel. In 1990, he entered into full time research on endurance, nutrition and survival under extreme conditions, working at both the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine and the Army Personnel Research Establishment. He later became the Chief Scientist at the UK Centre for Human Sciences. In 1995, he returned to hospital medicine and university work and in 1998 was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in Medicine and Nutrition, and Consultant Gastroenterologist at Southampton University Hospitals.
Mike first teamed up with Ranulph Fiennes in 1986 on the first of their five attempts to travel unsupported on foot to the North Pole from Arctic Canada and later from Siberia. These included a record-breaking journey in 1990, which raised more than £2 million for charity. Following these Arctic ventures, Mike and Sir Ranulph switched attention to Antarctica and the South Pole where in 1992/3 they broke several records completing the first unaided walk across the continent and what at the time, was the longest unsupported walk in history.
On his return from the South Pole, Mike was awarded the OBE for 'Human En deavour and Services to Charity' and the Polar Medal for 'Services to Arctic and Antarctic Exploration'.
Following the 1993 Polar journey, Mike continued his interest in extreme sports, leading the first UK team in the 1994 'Marathon of the Sands, (a trans-Sahara multi-marathon). In 1995/96 he competed in the first two ultra-distance 'Eco-Challenge' adventure races and in 2002, undertook the first unsupported, non-stop desert crossing of Qatar, covering 210 km in just 3 days. In 2003, he and Sir Ranulph completed seven full marathons, on seven continents in seven days, once again raising huge amounts for money for charity.
In 2006/07 Mike led the nutritional research elements of the Xtreme Everest Medical expedition, working and climbing in both Tibet and Nepal. More importantly, however, it was also then that he first conceived of an expedition to cross Antarctica in the extreme cold and darkness of the Southern winter. After more than 5 years working on that project with Ranulph Fiennes, including trials together in Arctic Sweden during 2012, the 'The Coldest Journey' that will take place between March and Sept 2013. Although for professional reasons, it has now proved impossible for Mike to be on the crossing itself, he spent January/ February 2013 dropping the expedition off by ship in Antarctica and he remains expedition spokesman, medical advisor and scientific research lead.
Mike is the author of two books, 'Shadows on The Wasteland' – documenting his unsupported foot crossing of Antarctica and 'Survival of The Fittest' – examining the relationship between nutrition, exercise, health and peak performance. He presented his own BBC1 series, 'The Challenge' and was the endurance and medical expert on all three series of BBC TV's, 'Are You Tough Enough for the SAS'.
To hear Dr Mike Stroud speaking about Sir Ranulph Fiennes' new expedition click here