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A truly inspirational student: Knife crime victim who became the first black British man to reach the North Pole

Friday 22 October 2010

Dwayne Fields

On 15 May, Dwayne Fields, a student in Psychology and Third World Development at the University of East London, became the first black British man to reach the North Pole. For Dwayne it was more than just a journey to the most northerly place on the planet, it has also been a very personal journey which began in Hackney in East London.

Growing up in an area with one of the highest rates of gun and knife crime in the country, Dwayne was himself a victim of violent crime. He had been stabbed on more than one occasion but his life-changing moment came when he had a gun pointed at his chest, the trigger was pulled but nothing came out.

He decided he wanted to make a difference, to inspire others to break out of the negative stereotype so often associated with young black males and to become a positive role model for his peers.

Inspired by Matthew Henson, the first black man to walk to the North Pole, Dwayne decided to enter the Peary and Hansen Race, starting from the most northerly point in Canada and ending at the magnetic North Pole, covering over 370 miles of thick snow, treacherous ice-fields, and frozen oceans. Dwayne completed the race in just 16 days.

He said:" It was an incredible experience, to be in this place so removed from what you know. I live on my own so it was tough at first to be living in such close quarters with my team but soon you realise that you are totally dependent on each other for survival, that you have to get along to survive".

In August this year, he also completed the Chara Challenge, a 30 mile endurance race across the wilds of Dartmoor carrying food, water, survival equipment and 32 pounds of additional weight .Of the 250 competitors to start the course, Dwayne finished in twelfth place.  

Dwayne said of his achievements: “I hope that everything I am doing and have done will inspire other people to achieve their goals in life and to never be restricted by negative stereotypes".

He now hopes to be one of the torchbearers for the London 2012 Olympics but will need your help when it comes to the nomination process, set to begin early next year.

You can be kept up to date with the nomination process by joining Dwayne's nomination Facebook group, here.

Of his ambitions to become an Olympic torchbearer, he added: “Bearing the Olympic torch is more than just a 400 metre walk, it would be a huge personal honour because it signifies just how far you can get if you have self-belief, perseverance and it shows what you can achieve if you step outside the box”.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Dwayne hopes to embark on a journey to the South Pole in 2012.

For more information about Dwayne’s endeavours, click here.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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