Expedition Limitless was founded by Phil Quirk in 2022 and has already raised an incredible £175,000.00 to support two Isle of Man charities: Isle Listen and Manx Mencap.
This March, 16 determined Manx adventurers will head to the Arctic Circle to undertake a gruelling eight-day snowshoe trek through extreme conditions, with temperatures plummeting to -35°C. Their goal is to raise an incredible £200,000 for Rebecca House Children’s Hospice and The Children’s Centre. The Arctic will push them to their limits, testing and transforming them along the way. For everyone, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure; for some, it may be life changing.
In Quadrant’s latest Q&A article, Simon Roberts sits down with Expedition Limitless team captain Natasha Johnson to discuss the upcoming Arctic trek and he gains more of an insight into the mindset of ‘Tash’ as she prepares for this epic adventure.
What inspired you to take on a 120km trek in the Arctic Circle, one of the harshest environments on the planet, and was there a specific moment in time when you decided “Yes, I’m definitely doing this”?
I recall hearing all about Expedition Limitless and their Arctic trip when they first did it back in 2023 and I remember thinking to myself “what an amazing adventure that would be”. I’ve always been drawn to cold holidays and love to ski whenever I get the chance, so going on a trek through the Arctic Circle sounded like such a fun adventure.
I then attended the presentation about this year’s challenge and was in awe of how much money they have raised for local charities on the last two expeditions. During the presentational video of the last Arctic trek, I actually pictured myself taking part and held on to that image….and here I am now chatting to you about it!
This challenge is in support of two amazing local charities, these being Rebecca House Children’s Hospice and The Children’s Centre. Why are these causes so important to you from a personal perspective and how will the funds raised make a difference?
These really are two fantastic local charities. The Children’s Centre is actually a personal one to me because I spent a lot of time there as a child – both at their After School and Summer Clubs and I have such fond memories of just playing inside and out, competing in all sorts of incredible games, and making new friends along the way who still remain close to me now. It really was such a positive part of my childhood and now as an adult, I realise just how important these places are for children and their families. Knowing that the money we hope to raise will help them continue providing those services just makes the challenge so much more worth it.
Preparing for sub-zero temperatures and extreme distances is no small undertaking. Apart from the snow day we all enjoyed earlier this month, the Isle of Man hasn’t really dropped below zero yet. How have you been training physically and mentally for the expedition?
From a physical perspective, I enjoy getting out walking on our Island with my dogs, whether that be in the hills, coastal walks or the glens, so I hope the fitness is going to be there. However, from a mental perspective, I think that’s going to be a challenge and cannot be underestimated. Once the initial excitement has worn off and has then turned into a couple of days of endless walking through snow, feeling really tired, missing my home comforts and getting low on motivation, that’s where the tough days are going to be. This is where the mental strength and resilience needs to kick in, in order to help me push through physically.
The Arctic Circle is going to present conditions that will push the team far beyond their comfort zones, and that includes the Expedition Leaders who have years of experience doing this. What do you expect will be the toughest moment during the trek for you?
Weather-wise, we know that it’s going to be extremely cold however we need to be prepared for more snow, icy blizzards, strong wind which will drop the temperature even further, so I am just going to have to battle through it mentally. I will have the support of my teammates, and I will just keep in mind the two charities that we are doing this for.
One of the highlights of the challenge is going to be the ice dip in to the sea. What emotions come up when you think about having to jump in to freezing Arctic waters and then haul yourself out with limited energy reserves? Is it something you’re excited about…. or are you completely dreading it?
I do very much like the idea of it because my ‘Inner Tash’ has thought “How hard can it be? It’ll be fine!” Which is easy to believe when you’re watching videos online of other people tackling it from the warmth and safety of your living room.
I went for a sea swim recently and I really struggled to imagine just how cold the Arctic Sea is going to be…and now I’m dreading it! I know a lot of it will be mind over matter so building up the mental strength and not overthinking it will be key to getting it done.
On the flip side, I know deep down that once it’s done, the feeling of euphoria after achieving something like that will override any future fears of doing something so incredible. It’s a memory that will stay with me for life.
In 2023, Phil Quirk and The Limitless Group team provided Quadrant with resilience training across all 3 of our offices, which has had a meaningful and lasting impact on our team. What have you already learned about your own resilience during the preparation process?
I think what I’ve learned over these past 6 months is that resilience isn’t about being strong and tough all the time, far from it. It’s on days when, my motivation or energy is really low, when I don’t want to go to the gym, I don’t want to train, nor do I want to jump in the freezing cold bay of Port Erin. It’s here that I’ve learnt that actually doing just that and showing up for myself and taking accountability is what resilience is. Having that resilience and mindset is preparing me well for the trek because we are going to have days where motivation will be low, but we have no choice but to get out there and do what needs to be done!
My teammates are also preparing in this way so having all of that support around me during this challenge means no one will be doing the hard things alone. You really do rely on the people around you as well so teamwork will be key.
How does it feel to have Quadrant supporting and sponsoring you on this journey, and what does that support mean to you personally?
Having the support of Quadrant really does mean a lot because without your support, I would not be going on this incredible life-changing adventure.
My Mum has worked for Quadrant for close to 20 years and through her I’ve become friends with a lot of the staff. Last year I was part of your Relay for Life team, a 24-hour walking event at the NSC which helps to raise money for Cancer Research.
I also know that you choose 4 local charities each year to focus on and help to support financially, so by supporting me in this way keeps me accountable and helps push me through the days when I just don’t feel like training. I know it’s something that I’m going to really hold on to whilst I’m out in the Arctic as well, because I don’t want to let the company down…. plus my mum would kill me!
Do you think this experience will change the way you view personal limits, determination, or what’s possible when you commit to a goal in the future?
I think this whole challenge is going to be an incredibly transformative experience for myself. I’m naturally not the most confident person and I’ve struggled in the past with limiting beliefs and thinking that I’m not good enough nor capable of doing the hard things. I think this is really going to prove to myself just what I can do – I can commit to challenges and I can do extraordinary and extraordinarily hard things.
I’ll dig deep within myself, find that inner strength and power on through with my teammates at my side.
I’m really excited for my future growth following this journey, and how I’m going to come out feeling on the other side. And, who knows, it might the start of many more challenges to come.
And finally, what message would you share with anyone considering pushing themselves beyond their comfort zone — whether this be for charity or simply just personal growth?
Whether it’s for raising funds for charity or pursuing personal challenges and goals, I would say keep training and working towards them. This constantly reinforcing that message of resilience, self-belief and confidence in yourself.
These past few months have taught me that anyone can do things when they really put their mind to it. You just have to commit and believe in yourself. Honestly, there are times during training where I was feeling mentally wobbly and thinking “oh my gosh, I don’t think I’m ready for this, I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this challenge.” But ultimately, it’s why I’m doing it, why I’m taking myself completely out of my comfort zone because I know that when I’ve done it, and completed it, nothing will stop me from doing it again given half the chance.
