This teen girl went to the South Pole and schooled her sexist trolls
As if we needed proof that women are capable of doing anything they set their minds to, on January 13th, 16-year-old Jade Hameister became the youngest person in history to ski both the North and South Poles as well as the Greenland icecap — what’s known as a “Polar Hat Trick.” And she had some words for her naysayers when she finished.
Hameister gave a TEDx talk in 2016, in which she discussed her dream of completing the Polar Hat Trick and encouraged other young women to follow their dreams. At the time, she had already skied to the North Pole. But her accomplishments didn’t stop trolls from leaving sexist comments like “make me a sandwich” on the video. And on January 13th, after skiing to the South Pole and completing her goal, Hameister did just that.
On Facebook, Hameister posted a photo of herself standing at the South Pole and holding a sandwich on a plate. She addressed her haters directly in the photo’s caption.
"I made you a sandwich (ham & cheese)," Hameister wrote, "now ski 37 days and 600 km to the South Pole and you can eat it."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMXQ6ebbC1c?feature=oembed
After skiing across the North Pole in 2016, Hameister skied unassisted across the Greenland icecap in 2017, completing the second branch of her hat trick. To reach the South Pole, Hameister pulled a 220-pound sled for 373 miles across Antarctica. Her father and a two-person camera team accompanied her on her record-breaking journey. In addition to being the youngest person to complete the Polar Hat Trick, she was also the first woman to navigate through Antarctica’s Kansas Glacier, which was previously unexplored. She and her team even got to name several of the glacier’s features.
Although sexist internet trolls don’t necessarily make you stronger, they’re unfortunately a big part of being female in the internet age. And Hameister’s cheerful response to a misogynistic taunt is a lesson in how to stay positive in the face of adversity. But more importantly, Hameister’s athletic feats are simply incredible, and we’re glad to see a young woman empowering others and inspiring them to follow in her footsteps. Congratulations to Hameister for this incredible feat!