about us
OUR STORY
THE ANGELS
OUR GOALS
our story
The Antarctic Fire Angels (AFA) was born at the Women in the Fire Service (WFS) Training and Development event in 2019.
Keynote speaker, Sophie Montange from the Army’s Ice Maiden team said that, “We wanted to show women what women are capable of.” This statement, along with Sophie’s infectious passion inspired Nakita and was the hook that reeled her in.
Later on at the event Nakita saw Georgina, who she’d made friends with in 2018, after she attended her Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) workshop. They instantly hit it off and both had the same idea to go to the Antarctic and take a team of female firefighters!
One meeting later, Nakita and Georgina had formed a plan for the Antarctic expedition and our reasons why: “To inspire women and tackle the stigma of mental health.” Throughout this journey the AFA team will share their reasons for taking on Antarctica and what they hope to achieve.
By September 2019, Nakita and Georgina had put together their team and had their “chosen frozen!” In October 2019, the AFA’s had their first team meeting and they were all determined to make this happen. By November 2019, the team went live and the journey has snowballed from there!
The AFA team are on their way to make history, all thanks to one team of women inspiring other women.
“Ordinary women doing extraordinary things.”
The Angels
NAKITA ROSS
Nakita is founder of the Antarctic Fire Angels & Team Leader of the London team known as LAFA. She became a firefighter at the age of 20 & has since become London's first female Urban Search & Rescue instructor...
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Georgina Gilbert
George is co-founder of the Antarctic Fire Angels and Team Leader of the Wales team known as WAFA. She has been a firefighter for 20 years and currently serves with South Wales Fire and Rescue service...
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REBECCA ROWE
From playing international sport to working in typically male dominated environments Bex knows no boundaries when it comes to...
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ALISON KIBBLEWHITE
Alison went into the Banking industry when she left school and decided to apply to be a firefighter when her brother came home with...
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NIKKI UPTON
Nikki knew from the moment she met a female firefighter at a London Brigade open day that this was the job she wanted to do and in 2009 she...
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goals
Conquer Antarctica
We are training to ski coast-to-coast across Antarctica in November 2023. Together we will cover 1,900 Km, pulling 85 Kg pulks (supply sleds) in temperatures as low as -50 and in wind speeds of over 60 mph in approximately 70 days. That’s around 27 Km every day.
Conquering this route using mind and muscle power alone will be a World Record, as the team would be the first all female emergency services team to achieve this.
To make this incredible expedition happen, we need to raise £500,000 to support us with training, equipment, nutrition, technology and specialist technical support.
Fundraising
We will be raising vital funds for our 2 nominated charities:
- Firefighters Charity
- Harlequins Foundation
- Your help will enable us to make our vision a reality and assist people in emergency services that are living with trauma and injury.
Empowering women
We aim to eradicate the gender stereotypes that can stop young women from entering male dominated industries.
We want to support women and girls to have a career in whatever they choose.
Raise awareness
Another major aspect of our expedition to Antarctica is to tackle the stigma of mental health.
As firefighters we know how much mental health matters.
We want to help raise awareness and smash the stigmas of mental health.
It is ok to not be ok.