Pen Hadow was awarded the Shackleton Medal and its £10,000 prize on 5 April 2023 for his work on the ‘Protection of the polar regions’.
“The 2023 Medal was judged at the Royal Geographical Society in London by a panel of experts and academics from the polar and scientific community. A long-list of over 50 nominees was reduced to a 5-person shortlist. Hadow was the unanimous winner with the judges praising his outstanding former achievements as polar explorer and guide, as well as his current and future commitments to protect the regions that he loves from the very many threats it faces.” reports Amelia Steele on www.shackleton.com
“The Shackleton Medal is awarded to individuals who show leadership, courage, ingenuity and determination in service of polar protection. Having spent many years of his life in the Arctic, Pen Hadow, now 61, continues to devote himself to its safekeeping and seeks to achieve a similar level of protection for the newly accessible Central Arctic Ocean that Antarctica enjoys via the Antarctic Treaty. We think he is a tough, committed and worthy winner; we are certain the Boss, Sir Ernest, would agree.” said Martin Brooks, Shackleton Co-Founder.”Amelia’s Steele’s report continued.
Only two Shackleton Medals have been awarded since its inception in 2022 to commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s death – Pen Hadow’s being the second.