Ann Bancroft

Growing up in a rural setting in Minnesota, I was raised with the outdoors and a sense of adventure.

I get stubborn and dig in when people tell me I can't do something and I think I can. It goes back to my childhood when I had problems in school because I have a learning disability.

For me, exploration is about that journey to the interior, into your own heart. I'm always wondering, how will I act at my moment of truth? Will I rise up and do what's right, even if every fiber of my being is telling me otherwise?

To push behind the dog sled and run in front of the dog sled. That was always an interesting job.

I had no doubts I could go to the pole. I may not be as strong, but I make up for physical strength in other areas, like steadiness and not panicking under stress.

I think that women on expeditions often get sucked into giving 150 percent of themselves because they feel they have to prove themselves physically equal to men. We get ourselves into trouble and burn out.

I do not think about being beautiful. What I devote most of my time to is being healthy.

For me, the greatest obstacles are never on the ice itself. That's the area I excel in. That's where my passion is. I think we all strive to push ourselves, to overcome our struggles. And when we do, we get to know ourselves better.

I love weights, but it's too far to get to the gym. So I make the farm my gym: I split wood and haul tires and do work on the farm, and that's sort of my weight training portion.

I love that place where you get in running where you're just never out of breath and you just feel like you could go forever. I love that. I love feeling strong.

I have a whole, you know, pocket full of dreams I want to achieve. I don't know in which order they're going to fall.

A life lesson for me is, how do you muster the courage to take on a new risk? Whether it's starting up a business or taking on a new project or expedition. I think the risks that we take are all relative to the risk-taker.