Welcome to Dan Byles' Website
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A former Army officer who served with distinction, Dan completed two overseas operational tours of duty and at the age of 27 was the youngest serving Major in the British Army. He has travelled extensively and taken part in numerous summer and winter mountaineering expeditions around the world.
In 1997 he successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean unsupported in a 23 foot wooden rowing boat in 101 days with his mother, Jan, for which he earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Dan recently left the military, and in April 2007 he was united in adventure with his mother once again when they survived temperatures of minus 68C and the worst ice conditions for years to become the first mother and son to reach the Magnetic North Pole by foot, gaining another Guinness World Record in the process.
More people have been into space than have rowed across an ocean or walked to one of the Earth's Pole.
More people have walked on the moon than have done both.
Soon after returning from the North Pole Dan got married, completed a Masters Degree in Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University, and was selected to stand for Parliament at the 2010 General Election which he won by just 54 votes, becoming the first Conservative Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire in 18 years. Dan is a member of the Ocean Rowing Society & the Association of Ocean Rowers, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and a founding Trustee of The Carpe Diem Trust.
"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero"
Guinness World Records 2008
Dan holds two Guinness World Records, and is featured on two pages of the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records (on page 94 and 96).
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We made it!!!
We successfully reached the Magnetic North Pole on 2 May 2007, after 24 days on the ice! We survived a near catastrophic tent fire, the worst ice conditions for years, and were almost stranded at the Pole when the plane broke a ski on landing. Please see the Expeditions section for an update and for some pictures from the expedition.
A big thank you to everyone who supported and sponsored us - we couldn't have done it without you.
Many thanks to all those who helped, supported and sponsored us!
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BLUE Climate and Oceans Project
Having both rowed and sailed across a wet ocean, and walked across a frozen one, I feel strongly about the declining health of our oceans. So I am delighted to promote the BLUE Climate and Oceans Project. Please take a closer look at them and the message they are promoting.
BLUE is a vehicle for raising awareness about the threat of man's activities to the health of our oceans and the resultant impact on global climate change. It will provide people with a way of being BLUE - by which individuals, corporations and governments can move towards a more balanced and harmonious way of living on earth. BLUE will aim to make caring for our environment COOL and will focus on a number of issues which if addressed could help to safeguard the life of our planet.
Sport, adventure and human endeavour can play a major part in highlighting and celebrating the beauty of our natural environment and the BLUE TM PROJECT will use sport as a vehicle to engage with the consumer to actively play their part in caring about the health of our planet.
For more information, visit: www.theblueproject.org