Bring the entire family to meet a woman who has truly gone to the ends of the earth! Norway’s Liv Arnesen, polar explorer extraordinaire will visit Minnesota as part MIC’s celebration of the Nordic Countries.

In February 2001, Ms. Arnesen and American polar explorer Ann Bancroft became the first women in history to sail and ski across Antarctica’s landmass — completing a 94-day, 1,717-mile (2,747 km) trek. She has also climbed Mount Everest, skied to the South Pole and crossed the Greenland Icecap. Ms. Arnesen will share her observations of life - both on and off the ice - which have made her an internationally recognized leader and role model for woman and young girls. Liv and Ann are preparing to launch an ARctic expedition in January.

Ms. Arnesen’s expeditions have been featured by the BBC, CNN, CTV, National Public Radio, NBC’s Nightly News and Today Show. She also has been featured in national print publications, such as People, USA Today, New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, Glamour, Current Biography Magazine, Outside, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Women, O - the Oprah Magazine, and Time for Kids, as well as more than 50 international newspapers and magazines in Japan, Russia, Scandinavia, Germany, England, Australia, Italy and Chile. Among her own published works is the book, Snille piker går ikke til Sydpolen (Nice Girls do not Ski to the South Pole.)

Program attendees will also have a special opportunity to visit 40 Years and Forever: An Exhibit Recognizing the 40th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act at the Humphrey Forum Museum, located in the Humphrey Institute. For details on this exhibit, visit the Humphrey website

Cosponsoring organization: The Royal Norwegian Consulate General with support from The American Scandinavian Foundation