Ann Bancroft (born September 29, 1955) is an American author, teacher, adventurer, and public speaker. She was the first woman to finish a number of expeditions to theArctic andAntarctic. She was inducted into theNational Women's Hall of Fame in 1995.[1]
Bancroft was born in Mendota Heights, Minnesota,[2] and grew up inSt. Paul, Minnesota.[3] Bancroft spent two years inKenya in her fifth and sixth grades.[2] Bancroft began leading wilderness expeditions when she was 8 years old when she convinced her cousins to join her on backyard expeditions.[2] She described her family as one of risk takers. Bancroft struggled withdyslexia from an early age, but she nevertheless graduated from high school and was accepted at the University of Oregon where she graduated with a Physical Education Degree in 1981.[4][5] Bancroft was a camper and staff member at YMCACamp Widjiwagan in Ely, MN.[6] Bancroft also taught Physical Education and Special Education in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.[2] Bancroft became a wilderness instructor and a gym teacher inMinneapolis (at Clara Barton Open School) andSt. Paul.
Bancroft founded the Ann Bancroft Foundation in 1991[2] "to support the educational mission of the historic all-women's Antarctic polar expedition in 1993"[7]The Ann Bancroft foundation supports the Wilderness Inquiry group and Bancroft currently teaches at Wilderness Inquiry.[2][8] The Wilderness Inquiry group allows individuals and families to go on outdoor adventures, and the adventures are open to people of all ability levels. Bancroft currently co-owns an exploration company, Bancroft Arnesen Explore,[9] withLiv Arnesen. Bancroft has been on expeditions on theGanges River in India, crossedGreenland, traveled to the North Pole, and crossed the South Pole.
Bancroft gave up her physical education and special education teaching posts in 1986 in order to participate with the "Will Steger International North Pole Expedition". She arrived at theNorth Pole together with five other team members after 56 days usingdogsleds.[10] This made Bancroft the first woman to reach theNorth Pole on foot and by sled.
She was also the first woman to cross both polar ice caps to reach the North and South Poles. In 1992–1993, Bancroft led a four-woman expedition to theSouth Pole on skis; this expedition was the first all-female expedition to cross the ice to the South Pole.[11]
In 2001, Bancroft and Norwegian adventurerLiv Arnesen became the first women to ski across Antarctica.[12]
In March 2007, Bancroft andLiv Arnesen took part in a trek across the Arctic Ocean to draw attention to the problem of global warming. The two explorers were followed be millions of school children.[13] However, according toThe Washington Post, the expedition was called off "afterLiv Arnesen suffered frostbite in three of her toes, and extreme cold temperatures drained the batteries in some of their electronic equipment."[14]
In 2017, Bancroft led an expedition on theGanges River as part of the "Access Water Initiative Series."[8][15] The Ganges River expedition's purpose was to raise awareness of the importance of clean water and that waste will travel downstream.[16] This expedition was a 60-day trip on 1,500 miles of waterway.[17]
Bancroft planned to boat down theMississippi River in 2018 with Arnesen and other female explorers.[18] Future expeditions will be conducted on every continent. This initiative aims to encourage children to protect their waterways, which is a vital resource.[17] In 2018, Bancroft will paddle down the 2,320 mile Mississippi River.[17] Future trips include Africa in 2019, Oceania in 2021, South America in 2023, Europe in 2025, and Antarctica in 2027.[8]
Bancroft is openlybisexual[19] and in 2006, she publicly campaigned against a proposed amendment to theMinnesota Constitution to prohibit any legal recognition of marriages or civil unions between members of the same sex.[20]
Bancroft also supports awareness of Access Water, Winter Warm-Up challenges, andglobal warming.[18][21][22]
Bancroft, Ann; Nancy Loewen (2001).Four to the Pole! The American Women's Expedition to Antarctica, 1992–1993. Linnet Books.
Arnesen, Liv; Ann Bancroft; with Cheryl Dahle (2003).No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women and Their Extraordinary Journey Across Antarctica. Da Capo Press.ISBN0-7382-0794-2.[25] The book describes Ann Bancroft's and Liv Arnesen's 1,700 mile trek across Antarctica in 2000–2001;[25] it won anAmelia Bloomer award in 2005.[26]
Duncan, Joyce (2010).Ahead of Their Time: a Biographical Dictionary of Risk-Taking Women. Portsmouth: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 38–42.ISBN9781280908699.
Ryan, Zoe Alderfer; illustrated by Nicholas Reti (2003).Ann and Liv Cross Antarctica : A Dream Come True!. Da Capo Press. — a children's book about Ann Bancroft & Liv Arnesen.
