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NAT GEO RECOGNISES SOLDIERS’ SPIRIT Heath and Seamus – along with Eric, Canadians Alexandre Beaudin D’Anjou and Chris Downey, The Wire actor Dominic West, and co-founder of Walking with the Wounded Simon Daglish – formed Team Commonwealth. Two similar teams from the UK and the USA made up the full South Pole Allied Challenge, originally designed as a race. But, after facing adverse conditions, all the teams ceased racing mid-way and made it to the Pole together – raising more than $200,000 in the process. The awards ceremony on 29 October brought together adventurers, scientists, conservationists and Australian Geographic enthusiasts to salute the courage and resilience of eight awardees. Guests in attendance included AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC journal founder and patron of the Australian Geographic Society Dick Smith. Prince Harry recorded a personal congratulatory address, which was presented at the gala.
Private Heath Jamieson and Corporal Seamus Donaghue, who trekked to the South Pole with Prince Harry for the charity organisation ‘Walking with the Wounded’, were honoured by the Australian Geographic Society at a gala dinner in Sydney in October. The Aussie soldiers were bestowed the Society’s Spirit of Adventure Award 2014 to reflect their strength, determination and ability to overcome obstacles to achieve their goal of walking to the South Pole to draw attention to soldier-rehabilitation issues. Both soldiers had sustained serious long-term injuries in Afghanistan and were selected for their sense of team spirit by Australian polar adventurer Eric Philips to tackle the grueling South Pole challenge.
Name: Seamus Donaghue DoB: 01/06/1983 Unit: 5/7RAR Wound: Gunshot through right leg Watch an interview with Seamus as he explains his wounding and his long road to recovery.
Name: DoB: Unit: Wound:
Heath Jamieson 03/05/1978 2nd Commando Regiment Gunshot through the neck
Watch an interview with Heath as he explains his wounding and his long road to recovery. Participants in the South Pole Challenge gather for a photo before heading south. Photo by Peter Nyquist