For further information contact:

  Polar Adventures Ltd
  18 Neville Road
  Kingston
  Surrey
  KT1 3QX
  UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 8549 1457
Fax: +44 (0)20 8241 7914
Eml: info@polarrace.com

Peter Berning

Team: Ikey Icemen


NATIONALITY:	South African
HOME:	Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
AGE:	53
HEIGHT:	183cm (6'0")
WEIGHT:	80kg (176 lbs)
PROFESSION:	Medical Doctor
INTERESTS:	Flying (holding Private Pilot's Licence), Trekking, Kajaking
PRIOR ARCTIC EXPERIENCE:	None
PRIOR EXPEDITION EXPERIENCE:	Nepal (across the Dolpol), Argentina/Chile (Aconcagua Peak), Peru, Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya
PREVIOUS FURTHEST NORTH:	Lofoten Islands, Norway
PREVIOUS COLDEST PLACE:	Independencia, Aconcagua
REASON FOR ENTERING RACE:	It seemed like a good idea at the time!
WEBSITE:	www.icemen.co.za

BIOGRAPHY

I was born and raised in the Eastern Cape (formally Transkei) in South Africa. I attended boarding school in Queenstown from the age of 10, matriculated from Queens College in 1967 and graduated from University of Cape Town Medical School in 1973 at the age of 22.

I've always been involved in sport, and have represented my university and my province at rugby and cricket.

In 1975, compulsory military service resulted in a tour of duty in Angola as medical officer (full Lieutenant) during the civil war. This was followed by a short second tour to northern Namibia as anaesthetist in M.A.S.H.

I met my wife Joan in 1972 while recuperating from an injury sustained on an epic rugby tour led by Dugald MacDonald (who's joining me as a fellow member of the Ikeys in the Polar Race), and we married in 1975. We have two children: Rhian, 27, and Clyde, 24, both born in Brecon, Wales.

I've travelled extensively throughout the world, to the United States, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and, of course, Africa.

Since 1981 I've been working as a General Practitioner in Plettenberg Bay, living on a small farm out of town.

CHARITIES

Eco-Schools is an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education that operates in more than 27 countries around the world. It encourages whole-school improvement through better environmental learning and mangement of the school environment. In South Africa there are 125 schools flying the Green Flag and it is fast growing. The SA Eco-Schools programme is managed by WESSA, in partnership with WWF-SA, with support from Nampak. For more information contact [email protected] or go to www.eco-schools.org.