Polar explorer to speak to Glenbard West freshmen about achieving goals

Polar explorer John Huston will speak at his alma mater, Glenbard West High School, on Monday, April 13. He will address the freshman class about achieving goals, taking on challenge and making positive life choices.

Huston is a veteran of the first American unsupported expedition to the North Pole and several other major polar expeditions. When he is not on an expedition he works as a motivational speaker and safety consultant.

Huston uses stories from his unsupported expedition to the North Pole to illustrate ways to achieve goals and succeed when facing challenges. He focuses on the importance of maintaining an optimistic outlook and being a positive team member. He also discusses how he became a polar explorer by pursuing his dreams.

The presentation will include stunning photographs, videos, stories and a display of expedition equipment.

After graduating from Glenbard West in 1995, Huston earned a bachelor's degree in history, geography and anthropology from Northwestern University. He started his outdoor career at Outward Bound in northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters area.

In 2009, Huston and his expedition partner, Tyler Fish, became the first Americans to travel unsupported from land to the North Pole. This 55-day, 475-mile journey has been accomplished by only 14 expeditions and has been called the "toughest expedition on the planet." To travel unsupported means to travel under one's own power without resupply. An unsupported expedition embodies the ethos of preparation, simplicity, self-reliance, and accountability-themes that Huston highlights in his presentations.

Huston has also completed expeditions to the South Pole, on Greenland and on Ellesmere Island.