Facing temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees, Rebecca and the team will cover 200 miles in 21
days, to retrace the steps of the legendary explorer, Sir John Franklin. Sir John set off in his ships,
the Erebus and Terror, in 1845 to discover The Northwest Passage, a much sought after trade route
that linked the Atlantic to the Pacific. Tragically, he and his 129 men were never to return.

In 1847 his wife, Lady Jane Franklin distraught at his disappearance began an eleven year search
campaign to find him. Prevented as a Victorian lady to search in person, she became the sole driving
force behind more than 30 expeditions aimed at finding him. Her love for Sir John Franklin and sheer
determination to bring him back is recorded in diaries and letters written to Sir John, which unfortunately
were never received.

On April 18th 2003, the American Express Franklin Memorial Expedition will become the first ever team
to retrace the final steps of Franklin’s men. The journey will cover 200 miles and take them from the first
land point after Franklin’s ships were abandoned, Victory Point on King William Island, to Starvation
Cove, where the last traces of Franklin’s men were found – bones and boots and an upturned boat.

The American Express Franklin Memorial Expedition captures perfectly the spirit of the new
advertising campaign “Long Live Dreams” – as it is about retracing the steps of an inspiring group
of people who had a dream and had the determination to follow that dream. It also represents an
opportunity to celebrate the great contribution John Franklin and his wife, Lady Jane Franklin, made
to Arctic exploration. In championing searches for the lost expedition, Lady Franklin’s 11 year
quest left a lasting legacy in the charting of the vast Arctic region.

Katherine Whitton, Director Brands and Communications for American Express, says: “Although a terrible
tragedy Franklin’s loss left a lasting legacy - the geographical mapping of the Arctic region as we know
it today. The hundreds of men who went out to search for John Franklin are truly inspiring; they defied
Arctic weather, poor diets and spent years away from family in what was basically uncharted territory
and against the odds they finished Sir John’s work of locating the North West passage. Franklin never
saw his dream realised but his story remains on of the most inspiring in Polar exploration and it is fitting
that we can celebrate this today. The fulfilment of this dream represents a significant feat of human
endurance and is a great testament to the strength of the human spirit.”

An expedition of this scale requires a highly skilled group of people who have a
wide range of expertise and experience. The team is made up of the following 8 people:

1. Rebecca Harris – Expedition Leader, Media and Sponsor, says:

“I find it incredible that a Victorian woman’s devotion to her husband was such a motivating factor
behind the mapping of the Arctic. The triumphs of today’s adventurers at the North Pole owe much to
Lady Jane’s tenacity, love and determination. Her letters to Sir John in the Arctic, which he was never to
receive, are heart breaking and it will be a fulfilment of a dream for me pay tribute to the Arctic
legacy she left us all”.

2. Mark Davey – Expedition Leader

3. Ralph Baker Cresswell – Ancestor and Navigation

Ralph is a direct descendent of Lt Samuel Gurney Cresswell who, in 1850 joined the search for Sir
John Franklin aboard the Investigator and although unsuccessful in finding Sir John, became one of
the first men to actually complete the North West Passage by foot. Ralph comments: “When I heard
about the expedition I was very keen to get involved. Its not everyday that one gets the
opportunity to follow in an ancestors footsteps, literally.”

4. Dr Mark Wilson – Expedition Doctor
5. Julian Mitchell – Reserve Expedition Manager
6. Martin Hartley – Expedition Photographer
7. Keef T’Hooft – Cameraman
8. Dave Qirqqut – Polar Guide

• The expedition will test the strength, stamina, endurance and bravery of the team members
  to the limits. Temperatures can reach as low as minus 40 degrees at this time of year,
  causing an additional risk of hungry polar bears - food sources for the bears are most scarce
  at this time of year.

• Preparations for the trip included spending time in a meat freezer at minus 20 degrees,
  to ascertain what the mental effect of such abnormal temperatures are on the brain. The
  brain slows down in extreme cold weather, so this could affect simple tasks
  such as putting up a tent.

• Each person will need to pull their own equipment and supplies in a sledge weighing 70kg – the
  equivalent of one dead body weight. Strength training using weights has been imperative to
  ensure that every team member can carry this amount of weight for 21 days.

• Ongoing endurance training, including running, cycling and swimming has improved
  stamina.

• Jumping into Hethpool Lake in Northumberland, fully clothed with a rucksack and skis,
  simulated the experience of falling through ice covered seas.

• During the expedition, the team’s daily calorie intake will exceed 5,000 calories compared to
  the recommended 2000 calories for women and 2500 calories for men.

• The diet will consist of freeze dried food which is lightweight and prepared by adding hot water,
  gathered from melted snow. A typical meal would be stew followed by rice pudding and
  supplemented with dried fruit, sweets and chocolate.