Helen Thayer
Helen was the first woman to solo any of the world's Poles when she walked alone with her Inuit dog Charlie to the magnetic North Pole in 1988 at age 50. She traveled unresupplied without dog teams or snowmobiles. She was also the first to circumnavigate the magnetic North Pole area. In 1992 she returned to the magnetic North Pole, this time with her husband Bill, to celebrate 30 years of marriage. They traveled on foot unresupplied to become the first married couple to trek to any of the world's Poles.
      In 1994 Helen and Bill were the first non Indians to explore a remote area of the Amazon rain forest by kayak. They each paddled a kayak 1,200 miles. Also in 1994 they walked 600 miles across the Canadian Yukon to live with and study a wild family of wolves above the Arctic Circle. In 1996 Helen accomplished the first documented crossing of the Sahara Desert by a woman on foot. She and Bill followed an ancient trade route for 2000 miles. In 1997 Helen celebrated her 60th birthday with a solo 200 mile trek in Antarctica.
      Helen is the author of the best selling book POLAR DREAM (Simon & Schuster) which also appeared in Reader's Digest book section. She has represented 3 countries ( New Zealand the country of her birth, Guatemala and the USA) in international track and field. In 1975 Helen won the USA national luge championship and won All American Honors. She was also a member of the USA national luge team. She is a technical mountain climber and has climbed to the summits of the highest mountains in North America..Mt McKinley, South America..Aconcagua, New Zealand..Mt Cook, Tajikistan..Mt.Lenin and Mt.Communism, attaining an altitude of 24,590 feet. She has also summited mountains in China and several other countries. In addition, Helen is a cross country ski and mountain climbing instructor and an Emergency Medical Technician. She was the American leader of the first USA/Soviet Women's Arctic Expedition, 1990.
      Helen has received many awards--a few are listed here: National Geographic Expert Lecturer American Mountain Foundation Outstanding Achievement Award, 1988 Sports Legend Award, Washington State 1997 Helen Thayer Award, named in Helen's honor. Awarded annually for community service. Robert Henning Award, from the Alaskan Geographic Alliance 1999 for work in presenting Geography in educational projects to students nationwide. In March 1999 Helen was invited by the President and First Lady to the White House in honor of her world wide exploration expeditions and her educational programs to schools nation wide.
      Helen is a lecturer, best selling author, professional photographer and adventurer. She lives with her husband Bill, on their farm in the foothills of the Washington Cascade Mountains.

Bill Thayer
Bill is a retired helicopter pilot with almost 13,000 helicopter flight hours logged in 5 countries, including the mountains of Alaska.
      In 1992 at age 66 Bill skied and walked to the magnetic North Pole to become the oldest person to travel entirely on foot, pulling his own sled, unresupplied to any of the world's poles. There were no dog teams or snowmobiles. With Helen, they were the first married couple to trek to any of the world's poles. Bill has 9 Arctic expeditions to his credit. Bill has explored many remote areas of the world along with Helen. One such expedition of exploration and discovery was the 1,200 miles of kayaking in Amazonia along two rivers which had not previously been kayaked by non-Indians. Also in 1994 Bill and Helen trekked 600 miles across the Canadian Yukon to live for many weeks only 50 feet away from a wolf den located above the Arctic Circle. The purpose of this trip was the study of wolves in the true wild. In 1996 Bill and Helen walked 2,100 miles across the Sahara desert, following an ancient trade route through the scorching heat.
      In 1973-74 Bill was a member of the USA national luge team and won a silver medal in a European championship race. He is an experienced climber and cross country skier.
      With Helen, Bill visits schools K through 12 to work with students in classrooms and assemblies to provide motivational programs of setting goals, planning for success and meeting challenges. Together they have spoken to over a million students in the USA and Canada in an educational program developed by the Thayer's and begun in 1988.
      Bill and Helen live on their farm in the foothills of the Washington Cascade Mountains. Here they enjoy magnificent panoramic views of the mountains and wild country they love and where they continue to train for future expeditions.