Jade Hameister facts for kids

Jade Hameister is an amazing Australian adventurer. She was born on June 5, 2001. When she was just 16 years old, she achieved something incredible. She became the youngest person ever to complete the "polar hat-trick." This means she skied to both the North Pole and the South Pole. She also crossed the huge icecap of Greenland.

Jade traveled more than 1,300 kilometers (about 800 miles) on these three trips. She spent almost four months on the ice! Her "Polar Quest" adventures were even shown in a National Geographic documentary in 2018. This film showed her journeys across Greenland and to the South Pole.

North Pole Adventure

In April 2016, Jade Hameister went on her first big polar trip. She skied 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) across the moving sea ice. She reached the North Pole, becoming the youngest person ever to ski there from that starting point.

Every day, Jade skied for 8 to 10 hours. She pulled a sled that weighed about 50 kilograms (110 pounds). She had to be careful of open water gaps called "leads." She also climbed over big ice ridges. Temperatures were super cold, sometimes as low as -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit). She also faced dangers like thin ice and even polar bears.

For her amazing North Pole trip, Jade won the Young Adventurer of the Year award. This award came from the Australian Geographic Society. Her journey was also featured in the National Geographic documentary On Thin Ice: Jade’s Polar Dream. This film was shown in 170 countries around the world.

Crossing the Greenland Icecap

Jade's second big expedition was across the Greenland icecap. She completed a 550-kilometer (about 340-mile) journey. She started from Kangerlussuaq on the west coast. She finished at Isortoq Hut on the east coast on June 4, 2017.

She traveled about 25 kilometers (15 miles) each day. She finished the whole trip in 27 days. This made her the youngest woman in history to cross the Greenland icecap. Early in her trip, a big snowstorm hit. But because it was warm, it rained instead of snowed. This meant she had to stop early each day. She needed to dry out her gear in her tent.

Journey to the South Pole

Jade started the last part of her "Polar Quest" in late November 2017. She skied more than 600 kilometers (about 370 miles). She went from the Ross Ice Shelf on the coast of Antarctica all the way to the South Pole. She finished this long trek in 37 days. She reached the South Pole on January 10, 2018.

By doing this, Jade earned several new titles. She became the youngest person ever to ski from the coast to the South Pole. She was also the first Australian woman to complete this journey.

After one of Jade's TEDx talks was put on YouTube, some people left mean comments. They told her to "make me a sandwich." When she reached the South Pole, she took a photo. In the picture, she was holding a ham and cheese sandwich. She posted the photo online. She invited the commenters to "ski 37 days and 600 kilometers to the South Pole and you can eat it."

Inspiring Others

Jade has given talks to inspire many people. She gave a TEDx Talk in August 2016. In early 2017, she spoke to over 12,000 students. These talks happened at events called ImagiNATION in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Jade also went to the National Geographic Explorers Symposium in Washington D.C. in 2016 and 2017.

Her Book

Jade wrote a book about her amazing "polar hat-trick" expeditions. The book is called My Polar Dream. It was published in Australia in September 2018. In the United States, it was published as Polar Explorer.

Awards and Honors

Jade Hameister has received many important awards. In March 2018, Vogue Australia named her one of their 2018 Game Changers. In September 2018, she was named one of The Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence. She was recognized in the Young Leader category.

Jade was also awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). This special honor was given to her in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours. She received it for her "service to polar exploration."