South Pole Ski Vacation

Hey, everybody! Who had a fantastic Thanksgiving Day dinner with lots of turkey, potatoes, pie, and stuffing? We can tell you who didn't: Colin O'Brady and Capt. Louis Rudd. One guy (Colin) is an American extreme sports athlete. One guy (Louis) is a battle-hardened British soldier. Both have an insatiable appetite for adventure. And right now, both men are probably bitterly cold, hungry, and likely not planning to feast any time soon.

Not planning to feast, that is, in the sense of chowing on fresh cooked food piled high at the holiday dinner table. Both guys are consuming lots of calories: nearly 9,000 per day. That's because both men, each on his own, are attempting to become the first person to ski across Antarctica alone and unsupported. No caches of fuel and supplies along the way. No companionship. Each guy has his skis, a sled full of supplies, and hundreds of icy miles to go.

The photo above is a screen capture from O'Brady's Instagram feed that features the man himself making a midday pit stop for ramen noodles on Thanksgiving Day. He's got an official website where you can track his progress and get updates. Rudd also has an official website and his progress is being reported by London-based sportswear maker Shackleton (named after the famous Antarctic explorer). It's pretty cool stuff. (Pun intended.)

Both guys have been going since early November. If either (or both) of them manages to make it all the way, the finish line will still be out of reach until early January. Getting an IT certification is also a journey, and many people set out to conquer this or that credential on their own. Almost nobody, however, tries to do it unsupported, with only one's iron will and a single sled's worth of supplies (including food and shelter).

Setting out to do something crazy difficult unsupported is fine if you're a world-class extreme athlete, or a seasoned military veteran. For the rest of everybody, there's no sense in trying to get certified without taking advantage of excellent study and training materials like those you can get right here at TestOut Continuing Education. And there's no better time to give our products a try than right now, when your first month's access to everything we offer is just $5.

If you're ready for a grand adventure that doesn't require you to ski hundreds of miles through the most unforgiving terrain on Earth, well, let us be your partner. You won't regret your decision, and you won't have to eat 9,000 calories worth of ramen just to stay warm at night.