Dr Mike Stroud OBE

Mike Stroud is well known for his record-breaking expeditions with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, they first teamed up in 1986. He is a world authority in human endurance and nutrition aswell as being one of the most well known expedition scientists, whose research is usedglobally. Mike has many advisory roles and is the head of British Association for Parentaland Enteral Nutrition. This year he’s concentrating particularly on ‘Putting nutritionalservices at the heart of Quality Care’ which is an initiative that he is involved with at aNational level working with the NHS Care Quality Commission.

Mike qualified as a doctor in London in 1979 (Bsc, MBBS, MD, DSci, FRCP) and then spentten years in a variety of hospital posts interspersed with far reaching expeditions and travel.In 1990, he entered into full time research on endurance, nutrition and survival underextreme conditions, working at both the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine and the ArmyPersonnel Research Establishment. He later became the Chief Scientist at the UK Centrefor Human Sciences. In 1995, he returned to hospital medicine and university work and in1998 was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in Medicine and Nutrition, and Lead Consultant inGastroenterology at Southampton University Hospitals.

Mike made the first of five attempts to make the first unsupported journey on foot to the North Pole from Arctic Canada starting in 1986 with expedition partner, Sir Ranulph Fiennes which was then followed by North Pole Attempts from both Canada and Siberia. These included a record-breaking journey in 1990, which raised more than £2 million for charity. Following these Arctic ventures, Mike and Sir Ranulph switched attention to Antarctica and the South Pole where in 1992/3 they broke several records when completing the first unaided walk across the continent. At the time, it was also the longest unsupported walk in history. On his return from the South Pole, Mike was awarded the OBE for‘Human Endeavour and Services to Charity’ and the Polar Medal for ‘Services to Arctic and Antarctic Exploration’.

Following the 1993 Polar journey, Mike continued his interest in extreme sports, leading the first UK team in the 1994 ‘Marathon of the Sands, (a trans-Sahara multi-marathon). In 1995 and ’96 he competed in the first two ultra-distance ‘Eco-Challenge’ adventure races and in April 2002, he completed the first unsupported, non-stop desert crossing of Qatar, covering the 200 km in just 3 days. Most recently, in November 2003, he and Sir Ranulph completed seven full marathons, on seven continents in just seven days, once again raising huge amounts for money for charity.

Mike is the author of two books, ‘Shadows on The Wasteland’ – documenting his crossing of Antarctica and ‘Survival of The Fittest’ – examining the relationship between nutrition, exercise, health and peak performance. He presented his own BBC1 series, ‘The Challenge’ and was the endurance and medical expert on all three series of BBC TV’s,‘Are You Tough Enough for the SAS’.

“I only listen to the first five minutes of every lecture, but with Mike Stroud I never left the hall because he was so interesting, fascinating and such a good speaker. So many speakers have interesting things to say but don't always know how to project – Mike was terrific on all counts. I highly recommend him for Festivals and Lecture Societies or anyone needing a cracking good speaker”  JONES LANG LASALLE

“Your talk was definitely the highlight of the day and a great way to finish off. I think your understated style goes down very well – you made some of the expeditions sound like a walk to the shops – until I realised the enormity of what you had taken on. The only slight disappointment was when I asked people how they found the day they invariably said “Mike Stroud was great” so I still don’t know what the rest of the day was like! It also made me wonder what the rest of us have done with the last 40 years………”  Medical Director, Hospitals

“As Commanding Officer of the Defence SERE Training Organisation I would like to thank you for speaking at the recent SERE Symposium. Your opening presentation really set the scene for the rest of the symposium and, having talked to a good number of our delegates, I know it was highly inspirational to many. Of particular note was your very clear examples of the depths of energy reserve that are available to individuals should the situation require it. This obviously has clear carry over to the survival environments that we discuss with students”  Commanding Officer

“Thank you for your outstanding presentations for “Aiming High'. Everyone enjoyed seeing you and hearing about your amazing story of endurance across Antarctica”  STOKE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

“I was impressed, not only with your fascinating story, but with the witty, professional and understated manner in which you told it. It is hard to believe that anyone has been through these kind of experiences and has lived to tell the tale!” SOLICITORS

“It was a great pleasure and honour, to meet you and hear your fascinating and extremely courageous talk but also to listen to you afterwards over supper. I was amused to read the next day the article in the Daily Telegraph about your tremendous feat”  LOSELY PARK FARMS

“Not only are you a great adventurer but a skilled and accomplished lecturer. I think it is good for the boys to hear accounts of those who put up with such great discomfort with such courage, it puts our lives into perspective a magnificent lesson in perseverance and teamwork”  ALDRO