Claire Stringer, owner of Gooseberry Bush Day Nursery in Chippenham, Wiltshire, braved polar bears, blizzards and temperatures of minus 45 degrees to successfully complete the 350-nautical mile Polar Challenge last month.
Her group of three called themselves Team Sheppard and the Cheese Rollers, after the famous cheese-rolling event in Gloucestershire. They were one of nine teams taking part in the challenge and came in at sixth place for completing the trek from Resolute in Canada to the North Pole in 15 days.
While Ms Stringer was away the children at the nursery took part in their own mini-trek around the setting's grounds in solidarity.
Ms Stringer said, 'Doing a trek to the North Pole has always been an ambition of mine. It was really tough both physically and mentally and I lost one and a half stone in weight. We had to navigate through storms and there was a real threat of polar bears, but it was an incredible experience.'
She said that the trek had taught her simply how important it is to be nice to people, and at nursery she will be focusing on how to communicate more effectively and to use people for their strengths, which she hopes will be implemented throughout the setting.
The £22,000 she raised from the trip will be donated to Bristol Children's Hospital's Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal to buy a life support machine for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
