Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Oct / Nov 2017: The Travel Issue | Page 40

T HE L AS T GRE AT
WIL DERNES S
Earlier this year, Bangkok Patana student Rebecca Leiler and her
biology teacher, Helen Thew, took part in the International Antarctica
Expedition with acclaimed Pole explorer, Robert Swan. We spoke with
Rebecca and Helen about their mission to protect Antarctica’s future,
and how their epic adventure changed the way they live today.
What was the purpose of the trip?
Helen: When Robert Swan visited
our school in October 2016, he told
us, “You can’t do everything, but
you can do your one percent.” Swan
also wisely pointed out that, should
Antarctica continue to melt, “we will
swim” — and here in Bangkok, we
would be some of the first to do so.
This makes the Antarctic’s problem
our problem too.
This expedition is our one percent.
Bangkok Patana is already an
environment-conscious school,
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and our students are global citizens
dedicated to taking small steps for
positive change. Because of this,
embarking on such a gargantuan
adventure felt natural for Patana. ecosystem in Antarctica that I hope
we will be able to preserve for future
generations.
What inspired you to take part? Rebecca: The journey was
challenging and long: From Bangkok
to Heathrow, then Buenos Aires to
Ushuaia, the southern-most point in
Argentina, where we boarded our
ship, the Ocean Endeavor. It took 85
hours to get there!
Helen: I am both a biology teacher
and a diver, and I have been lucky
enough to travel widely. If we
continue on our current destructive
path, I’m conscious that future
generations are unlikely to see what
I have seen on my travels. I want to
help raise awareness of a unique
How long was the journey to
get there?
What were your first thoughts
when you arrived in Antarctica?
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