Tori returns home after polar record-breaker (From Western Telegraph)

Tori returns home after polar record-breaker

POLAR explorer Tori James is back in Pembrokeshire and looking forward to some warm weather and summer barbecues.

Tori celebrated completing the gruelling Scott Dunn Polar Challenge at her parents' home in Clarbeston Road at the weekend.

She was 'absolutely delighted' to finish the expedition with her team, the Pink Lady PoleCats, but said readjusting to normal life may take some time.

Ringing mobiles and waking up in a proper bed are enough to disorientate her. After weeks of 24-hour sunlight in the Arctic, even darkness seems very strange.

Tori, and her team mates, Sam Eve and Felicity Aston, completed the 360-mile course in 13 days to be placed sixth out of 16 teams.

This was more than three days under target, thanks to favourable weather conditions. Tori said: "We were shattered by the time we got over the finish line."

But they recovered quickly to celebrate in Canada, and again on their return to the UK on May 9th.

The PoleCats' efforts produced a number of firsts. They were the first all-female team to ever complete the challenge and Tori, at 23, is the youngest woman to finish the race.

She believes she may also be the first Welsh woman to reach the North Magnetic Pole.

The team raised over £20,000 for Break Through Breast Cancer and BSES Expeditions, where Tori returned to work as an office manager this week.

"It will certainly leave a big gap in my life," she said. "I have spent ten months doing things everyday, from training to finding sponsorship."

Although Tori is looking forward to a well-earned break, her adventurous days are not yet behind her. She said: "There will be something else, but I'm not quite sure what yet."