Caroline Hamilton
Caroline was leader of the first British all-women's team to ski to the South Pole in 1999/2000 - also sponsored by M&G - and of the all-women's relay team which went to the North Pole in 1997. These expeditions are vividly described in her book To The Pole which is published by Virgin.

As a child, Caroline loved reading stories of the Arctic and Antarctic and it was her vision of ordinary women taking on the challenge of a polar expedition that first inspired her. With explorer Pen Hadow, it was her energy and drive that turned the idea of the all-women's relay into reality in 1997. Today, she is recognised as an experienced polar explorer - and can't wait to be back with the M&G Polar Team on the Arctic sea ice.

Caroline studied History & Philosophy of Science at Cambridge, where she won blues in hockey, athletics and cricket. After finishing her studies she began her career as an investment banker, before joining Screen Partners, an international film financing firm. She is also a board member of a London housing association, Threshold Housing and Support, and is renowned as a motivational speaker - click here for more.

Pom Oliver
Now aged 50, Pom is an inspiration to those who believe that age is no barrier to new challenges. She is an experienced polar explorer, and prior to her life as a renovator, she was a film producer. She is currently studying for a BA in Comparative Religions and is Co-Chairman of The Square Smile.

Challenging adventures have always been part of Pom's life. As a girl, she attempted to run away from school many times. Then, when she was 18, she left the UK and spent a year hitch-hiking from Cape Town to Sydney where she settled and worked for 12 years. Since then, she has also driven the length of Pakistan's Karakoram Highway in a truck and sailed from Mombasa to Madagascar.

As part of the M&G Polar Team, Pom was one of the five who became the first British all-women's team to ski to the South Pole in 1999/2000. She was also part of the relay team which reached the North Pole in 1997. During the 1997 expedition, Pom's courage and determination enabled her to overcome the constant pain of a shoulder which she dislocated when she fell into the freezing Arctic waters.

Ann Daniels
Like fellow M&G Polar Team members, Ann has made history. She conquered the South Pole in 1999/2000 as part of the first British all-women's team, and was also part of the all-women's relay team to the North Pole in 1997.

Building on her reputation and experience, Ann now works as a polar guide and gives motivational talks. In 2001, she guided eight men from all over the world across the sea ice on a last degree expedition (the last 60 nautical miles) to the North Pole. This made her the first British female guide in the High Arctic and she is currently writing a book about her life and polar exploits.

Ann's children are her inspiration. She wants to show them how to live life to the full and prove that it's possible to achieve extraordinary things. When she's on the ice, her will to succeed keeps her putting one foot in front of the other and, during the difficult moments, she literally chants her triplets' names - Joseph, Lucy and Rachel - with each step forward she takes.

Click here to visit Ann's web site