S8 Ep 8 - Craig Mathieson

S8 Ep 8 - Craig Mathieson

From The Everyday Adventure Podcast by Inspiration and ideas to live more adventurously in your daily life

April 23, 2026 · 56 min

About this episode

Craig Mathieson discusses his journey as a polar explorer and the transformative work of The Polar Academy in helping young people build confidence and resilience through adventure.

Craig Mathieson is a polar explorer, motivational speaker and founder of The Polar Academy , a groundbreaking Scottish charity that helps young people build confidence, resilience and self-belief through adventure. He was recently awarded The Polar Medal in the King’s New Year’s Honours. Craig has completed expeditions to both the North Pole and South Pole, including leading the first dedicated Scottish expedition to the South Pole in 2004. Having mentored a young person on a life-changing expedition to the North Pole two years later, Craig saw the extraordinary potential of these experiences and was determined that this would act as a catalyst to extend these opportunities. In 2013, the Polar Academy was born. To date, the Polar Academy has worked with nearly 300 young people and their families. The programme deliberately seeks out “invisible kids”— young people who struggle with confidence, anxiety, bullying, bereavement or simply feeling overlooked. Over the course of an 18 month training programme, the teenagers on the programme prepare physically and mentally for an expedition to East Greenland, where they haul sleds across Arctic terrain and discover what they’re truly…

People in this episode

Guest: Craig Mathieson

Topics covered

  • polar exploration
  • youth empowerment
  • mental health
  • adventure
  • charity work

Keywords

  • polar explorer
  • The Polar Academy
  • youth confidence
  • mental health
  • adventure training

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Polar Academy

Places: Scotland, North Pole, South Pole, East Greenland

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