Marek Kaminski
Encyclopedia
Marek Kamiński – Polish
Polar explorer, author, photographer, entrepreneur. The only person to reach both Poles in a single year without external assistance: on 23 May 1995 he and Wojciech Moskal reached the North Pole
, and on 27 December 1995 he reached the South Pole
alone.
He was brought up in Połczyn-Zdrój (Pomerania
). In 1982 he graduated from Władysław Broniewski high school in Koszalin
. He studied philosophy and physics at Warsaw University. He is the founder and co-owner of a company called Invena S.A. and founder of the Marek Kamiński Foundation.
He lives in Sopot
with his wife Katarzyna and daughter Pola.
and as co-author:
His articles and photographs have also been published in many periodicals including National Geographic and Voyage
.
Titles:
He also conducts workshops and training for major Polish and foreign corporations, banks and insurance companies.
The Foundation's major achievements include:
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
Polar explorer, author, photographer, entrepreneur. The only person to reach both Poles in a single year without external assistance: on 23 May 1995 he and Wojciech Moskal reached the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, and on 27 December 1995 he reached the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
alone.
He was brought up in Połczyn-Zdrój (Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
). In 1982 he graduated from Władysław Broniewski high school in Koszalin
Koszalin
Koszalin ; is the largest city of Middle Pomerania in north-western Poland. It is located 12 km south of the Baltic Sea coast. Koszalin is also a county-status city and capital of Koszalin County of West Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
. He studied philosophy and physics at Warsaw University. He is the founder and co-owner of a company called Invena S.A. and founder of the Marek Kamiński Foundation.
He lives in Sopot
Sopot
Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000....
with his wife Katarzyna and daughter Pola.
Major expeditions
- 1977 - Denmark – first independent expedition, by cargo ship to the port of AalborgAalborg-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
; MR.Kris - 1978 - Morocco – by ship to the port of SafiSafi, MoroccoSafi is a city in western Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of the Doukkala-Abda Region, it has a population of 282,227 , but is also the centre of an agglomeration which has an estimated 793,000 inhabitants ....
; - 1984 - USSR (now the territory of Russia), Scandinavia, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia – hitchhikingHitchhikingHitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
; - 1985 - Cuba, Mexico (Mexico DF, Yucatán, Chiapas) – hitchhiking;
- 1987 - Cuba, Mexico (Mexico DF, Yucatán, Oaxaca, Chihuahua, Chiapas) - hitchhiking;
- 1990 - SpitsbergenSpitsbergenSpitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
– first solo Polar expedition (about 350 km on skis); - 1993 - “TransGreenland Expedition”– first Polish crossing of GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, with Wojciech Moskal (about 600 km in 35 days); - 1995 - “Poles to the Pole” – reaching the North Pole from Ward Hunt IslandWard Hunt IslandWard Hunt Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Arctic Ocean, off the north coast of Ellesmere Island. Its northern cape is one of the northernmost elements of land in Canada. Only a 17 km stretch of northern coast of Ellesmere Island around Cape Columbia is more northerly. The island...
, with Wojciech Moskal (770 km in 72 days); - 1995 - “A Pole at the Poles” – solo expedition to the South Pole from Berkner IslandBerkner IslandBerkner Island or Berkner Ice Rise or Hubley Island is a high and completely ice-covered large island about long and wide in Antarctica, with an area of . It is the second largest island of both Antarctica and the British Antarctic Territory, after Alexander Island. It is also located within the...
(1,400 km in 53 days); - 1996/97 - “Solo TransAntarctica” – attempted solo crossing of Antarctica (1,450 km);
- 1997/98 - Antarctica – crossing of the Ellsworth MountainsEllsworth MountainsThe Ellsworth Mountains are the highest mountain ranges in Antarctica, forming a long and wide chain of mountains in a north to south configuration on the western margin of the Ronne Ice Shelf. They are bisected by Minnesota Glacier to form the northern Sentinel Range and the southern Heritage...
and reaching the summit of Mount Vinson, with Leszek Cichy; - 1998 - Kilimanjaro, Kościuszko Mountain in Australia;
- 1998 - Bolivia – expedition to the Bolivian Andes, reaching the summit of Huayna PotosiHuayna PotosíHuayna Potosí is a mountain in Bolivia, located about 25 km north of La Paz in the Cordillera Real.Huayna Potosí is the closest high mountain to La Paz, a city which is surrounded by high mountains, and itself is the highest capital city in the world. Huayna Potosí is roughly fifteen miles due...
, journey to Amazonia, with Børge Ousland; - 1999 - sailing across the Atlantic by yacht, the “Gemini”, with Andrzej Piotrowski;
- 1999 - “Earth Expedition”, Australia – crossing the Gibson DesertGibson DesertThe Gibson Desert covers a large dry area in the state of Western Australia and is still largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the 5th largest desert in Australia, after the Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Tanami and Simpson deserts.-Location and description:The Gibson...
(700 km in 60 days); - 2000 - “Purmo Greenland Expedition” – crossing Greenland, with Wojciech Ostrowski (600 km in 13 days);
- 2000 - “Race 2000”, sailing across the Atlantic by catamaran, the “Polfarma – Warta”, with Roman Paszke;
- 2000 - “Amazon Source 2000”, expedition to the sources of the Amazon under the patronage of the National Geographic SocietyNational Geographic SocietyThe National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
; - 2001 - Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, with Katarzyna Pisera;
- 2001 - “North Pole 2001”, first expedition of Polish tourists to the North Pole, as a guide;
- 2001 - Dolomite (Cortino d’Ampezzo), with Katarzyna Pisera and Leszek Cichy;
- 2002 - expedition to the North Pole as a guide;
- 2002 - DolomiteDolomiteDolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
(Marmolada), with Katarzyna Pisera; - 2003 - Holy Land: Jerusalem, Cesarea, Netania, Masada, Tel Awiw – Jafa, with Katarzyna Pisera;
- 2004 - “Together to the Pole” – expedition to both Poles in a single year with disabled teenager Jan Mela, with Wojciech Ostrowski and Wojciech Moskal (North Pole);
- 2005 - “Around the Baltic by Dinghy” – a five-day trip, a celebration of a 25th anniversary of Solidarność, with Mirosław Kukuła and Wojciech Ostrowski;
- 2006 - “Baby on Board – Across Poland with Pola” – a journey across Poland, following the River VistulaVistulaThe Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
, with wife Katarzyna and daughter Pola; - 2007 - “Baby on Board – Across the World with Pola” – a journey to Norway (OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Finnmarksvidd, Lofota, Flamsban), with wife Katarzyna and daughter Pola. - 2008 - "HiFlyer Polar Ice Expedition" - reaching the Gunnbjørn Fjeld summit, the highest peak in GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
(3694 m), with Leszek Cichy, Tomasz Walkiewicz, Mirosław Polowiec, Ryszard Rusinek.
Books
Marek Kamiński has written the following books about his travels:- Moje bieguny. Dzienniki z wypraw 1990–1998 (My Poles – Expedition Diaries 1990-1998), Ideamedia, Gdansk 1998 – awarded the Artus Prize in the Best Book of the Year 1998 category and the Amber Butterfly prize in the Arkady Fiedler Competition for the best Polish book on travel and tourism,
- Moje wyprawy (My Expeditions), Pascal, Bielsko-Biała 2001
- Razem na Biegun (Together to the Pole), Marek Kamiński Foundation, Gdansk 2005
and as co-author:
- Sławomir Swerpel, Marek Kamiński, Wojciech Moskal, Nie tylko Biegun (Not Just the Pole), Muza SA, Warsaw 1996
- Jacek Bunsch, Marek Kamiński, Poczta polska, czyli niezwykłe dzieje pewnego listu (The Polish Post, or the Unusual History of a Letter), Wydawnictwo Europa, Wrocław 2000.
His articles and photographs have also been published in many periodicals including National Geographic and Voyage
Voyage
- In music: :* Voyage * Voyage * Voyage , by In Fear and Faith* Voyage , by Ayumi Hamasaki* Voyage , a disco music group** Voyage, an album by the eponymous band...
.
Films
- Zdobycie Bieguna Północnego (“Reaching the North Pole”), dir. J. Surdel (1995)
- Dwa Bieguny w jednym roku. Arctica (“Two Poles in a Single Year – the Arctic”), dir. J. Surdel (1995)
- Dwa Bieguny w jednym roku. Antarctica (“Two Poles in a Single Year – the Antarctic”), dir. J. Surdel (1996)
- Tamtego lata w Patriot Hills (“That Summer in Patriot Hills”), dir. J. Surdel (1996)
- Trzeci Biegun. Przerwana wyprawa (“The Third Pole – an Interrupted Expedition”), dir. J. Surdel (1997)
- Transantarctica 96/97, dir. J. Surdel (1997)
- Dlaczego? Wyprawa na Mt. Vinson (“Why? Expedition to Mount Vinson”), dir. W. Ostrowski (1998)
- Portret męski we wnętrzu (“Portrait of a Man Inside”), dir. F. Bajon (1999)
- Grenlandia za plecami Marka Kamińskiego (“Greenland Behind Marek Kamiński’s Back”), dir. W. Ostrowski (2000)
- Razem na Biegun (“Together to the Pole”), dir. W. Ostrowski (2005)
- White out. Wyprawa poza cień (“White-out – an Expedition Beyond the Shadows”), dir. W. Szumowski (2005)
- Pontonem dookoła Bałtyku (“Around the Baltic by Dinghy”), dir. W. Ostrowski (2005)
- Z Polą przez Polskę (“Across Poland with Pola”), dir. W. Szumowski (2007)
Major awards
- Young Businessman of the Year 1994 in the Polish section of the international World Young Business Achiever competition (1994)
- Knight’s Cross of the Order of Poland’s Renascence, for reaching the North Pole, awarded by President Lech WałęsaLech WałęsaLech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
(1995)
- Sports Minister’s Gold Medal for reaching the North Pole (1995)
- TV Polonia Award “For Glorifying Poland and the Polish Spirit” (1996)
- St Wojciech’s Medal, an honorary decoration awarded by the Gdansk City Council, “For Making Gdansk Famous Worldwide” (1997)
- Amber Butterfly Award in the Arkady Fiedler Competition for the book Moje bieguny. Dzienniki z wypraw 1990–1998 (1999)
- Explorer 2000 prize awarded at the Explorer’s Festival, Łódź (2000)
- “Butterfly 2003” prize awarded by the Jolanta Kwaśniewska Foundation, for courage and presenting the disabled as fully able participants in public life (2004)
- “Super Kolos 2004” prize awarded for the greatest sporting achievement in the history of Polish Polar exploration, which was reaching the North Pole on 23 May 1995 (2004)
- Foreign Minister’s diploma for outstanding services to promoting Poland worldwide (2005)
- “Intrepid Carer for the Sick and Disabled”, medal awarded by the Metropolitan of Gdansk, His Excellency Father Tadeusz Gocłowski (2005)
- A special certificate - Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador (2005)
- Business and Passion Prize awarded at the Explorer’s Festival, Łódź (2006)
- St Brother Albert Medal for proving that a disabled person can be a fully able participant in public life, perform difficult tasks and make his dreams come true (2007)
- Honorary citizenship of the City of Koszalin, Połczyn-Zdrój and Tarłów County
Organizations
Marek Kamiński belongs to the following organisations:- Polish Business Roundtable
- Polish Writers’ Union
- Polish Academy of Sciences Committee for Polar Research (honorary member)
- Sopot Sailing Club
Lectures
Marek Kamiński has given many lectures in Poland, USA, and many other countries including Antarctica.Titles:
- "How the Impossible Becomes Possible"
- "Expeditions to the Edges of My Dreams"
He also conducts workshops and training for major Polish and foreign corporations, banks and insurance companies.
Marek Kamiński Foundation
The Marek Kamiński Foundation was founded in 1996. It is involved in creating and running educational programmes, fund-raising for prostheses for those in need, and integrated camps for the disabled. Its statutory aims also include supporting exploration of the Polar regions and other places worldwide, promoting Polar studies and ecology and supporting young participants in expeditions.The Foundation's major achievements include:
- “Let’s Help Sick Children To Make Their Dreams Come True”, the first campaign by the Society, as a result of which the Foundation was founded. The funds raised were used to buy IV drips for children and to finance the upgrading of the Children’s Chemotherapy Ward at the Gdansk Medical Academy (1995)
- Solo TransAntarctica, the organisation of a Polar expedition, part of which was an International Educational Programme run on the Internet (1996/97)
- Organisation of a trip to Antarctica at Christmas for two children from the Ełk and Ostrołęka Children’s Homes. The trip was first prize in a competition testing knowledge of the South Pole region. (1996/97)
- Organisation of an expedition to Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica (1997/98)
- Organisation of a competition for children testing knowledge of Australia during an expedition to cross the Gibson Desert. Funding of the top prize, a trip to Sydney for the competition winners (1999)
- Together to the Pole, organisation of expeditions by Marek Kamiński and disabled teenager Jasiek Mela to both Poles (2004)
- Give Others a Chance, fund-raising to buy prostheses for the disabled during the first “Together to the Pole” expedition. The total raised – 733,227 zlotys – was used to finance the purchase of prostheses for 65 people nationwide (2004)
- School At the Pole, organisation of an educational campaign (2004)
- World Day of the Sick – nationwide campaign to distribute 10,000 copies of a book entitled Lulie’s Big Journey to children who were in hospital that day (February 2005)
- School for Crossing Borders, organisation of a free camp for disabled children. For two weeks 30 disabled young people took part in sports activities and a wide variety of themed workshops (July 2005)
- Help for Pakistan, raising donations for victims of the Pakistan earthquake (November 2005)
External links
- www.kaminski.pl
- www.marekkaminski.pl
- www.babyonboard.pl
- www.szkola.kaminski.pl/linki.php
- www.wyprawy.kaminski.pl
Multimedia
- http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=6377804715637065625&q=demonstracja+1988&total=1&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
- http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=5611699365551815436&q=razem+na+biegun&total=1&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
- http://video.google.pl/videoplay?docid=8096088157908665805&q=Marek+Kami%C5%84ski&total=14&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2