Speakers from the Edge’s very own Karen Darke has won the title of Ultimate Fearless Female 2009 at an awards ceremony run by Cosmopolitan magazine this week.

 Every year Cosmopolitan magazine hold their Ultimate Women of the Year Awards, celebrating inspirational women from every walk of life. This year, paraplegic adventurer Karen Darke has won the Ultimate Fearless Female Award - an award which celebrates courageous women who “follow their dreams, live life to the max and, in true Cosmo style, are always the 'best they can be'”.

Pictured here outside Downing Street before meeting Sarah Brown along with the other Ultimate Females, Karen certainly fits into the Ultimate Fearless female category well. Since breaking her back at the age of 21, she has pursued an increasingly ambitious programme of challenges, including skiing across the Greenland icecap, hand-biking over the Himalayas and climbing the mighty El Capitan in Yosemite after over 4000 pull-ups. Determined to fight preconceived notions of just what is possible for someone who can feel nothing below their chest, her philosophy is that life is an adventure, and that with enough self-belief and motivation, everyone can achieve their dreams.

“people ask me if I'd have done this stuff anyway, regardless of being paralysed. I grew up with a love of sweat and mud and fresh air, so its just how life has always been, but being paralysed drives deeper than ever my need to be in different positions (a handbike, a kayak, a ski), to feel the wind in my hair and remember the world's a bigger and more exciting place than concrete ramps and tarmac.”

Karen skiing across the Greenland icecap, using just her arms.

Karen didn’t expect to win the award and was very humbled but the whole experience;

“there really are some women doing incredible things, inventing equipment to help the world's waterless population, humanitarian work in far and dangerous places, giving opportunities to teenagers who might otherwise go astray...really good and hard work which fade my adventurous exploits! However, we probably all think we're just doing what we do / love doing, and feel lucky we are able to, so I think most of the award winners have that thread of humility in common.”

Receiving the award from Karen Brady, Karen said it was a real honor and paid tribute to all the people who had helped her fulfill her dreams.

Karen’s is currently planning to attempt to become the first person to ski to the South Pole using only arm power in 2012, crossing 730 miles of ice, aiming to raise £1 million for charity. You can read more about her South Pole expedition here.

To book Karen for a motivational talk, please contact us.