Two Aussie teens awarded Australian Geographic Society’s highest honours

SHE’S just 15, but Jade Hameister is the youngest person to ski to the North Pole. Now back into her gruelling CrossFit regimen, she’s got a new challenge.

Jade Hameister and Lachlan Smart are receiving the Australian Geographic Society’s highest honours. Picture: Australian Geographic

THEY might be young, but these daring teenagers have both witnessed and achieved more than what most people manage in a lifetime.

It’s no surprise that Queenslander Lachlan Smart — who this year became youngest person to fly a single-engine aircraft solo around the world — and Melburnian Jade Hameister, who is embarking on a “Polar hat-trick”, will be recognised for their achievements today with Australian Geographic Society awards.

While her 14-year-old classmates were enjoying their school holidays, Jade was punishing her body with a gruelling CrossFit regimen in preparation for her expedition to the North Pole.

Her sacrifices were not without reward. In April, she wrote herself into the history books as the youngest person to ski to the North Pole.

During that time she braved temperatures of -25C, towed a pack around her body weight, and covering more than 150km over 11 days.

Australian Geographic Young Adventurer of the Year Jade Hameister is not what you’d call an underachiever. Picture: Australian Geographic

“It’s a massive honour. It’s really exciting as well,” she told News Corp after learning she would receive the Young Adventurer of the Year Award.

“To be honest I wasn’t thinking about the award, I was thinking about this thing I wanted to do and the award came afterwards. It’s really exciting.”

Jade, who is now 15, conquered Everest Base Camp at the age of 12 and climbed Mount Kosciuszko aged six.

She said the North Pole was just the first leg of the of her next big adventure.

The “Polar hat-trick” quest will see her attempt the Greenland Crossing and South Pole by December 2017.

Jade dragged a sled of around her own body weight in some of the most extreme and beautiful environments on the planet. Picture: Australian Geographic

If all goes to plan, she will have celebrated her 16th birthday by the time she’s finished.

“For me it’s all about the adventure and seeing places not many other people have been to,” she said.

Jade also plans to use her experiences to raise awareness about global warming.

Nambour’s Lachlan Smart, 18, will receive Australian Geographic’s Spirit of Adventure award after circumnavigating the globe solo in a single-engine plane two months ago.

After travelling 45,000km, braving the elements and even being threatened with detainment in Sri Lanka, Lachlan landed his Cirrus SR22 at Sunshine Coast Airport on August 27 to take out the title.

Queenslander Lachlan Smart became the youngest person to fly a single-engine aircraft solo around the world. Picture: Australian Geographic

“There were so many emotions running through me when I landed at the Sunshine Coast. I was so excited to finally be back; I was nervous about what comes next; I was relieved that everything went well but mostly I was just really happy to be home,” he said.

Lachlan, who has previously been underestimated when he decided to take on the mammoth journey at such a young age, said he wanted to send a message to other Australians struggling to realise their dreams.

“It doesn’t take an extraordinary person to undertake an extraordinary achievement,” he said.

“As soon as I said I was an 18-year-old flying around the world people would just close up and say, ‘No, not interested’.

Lachlan is almost a year younger than previous Guinness World Record holder, Matt Guthmiller. Picture: Australian Geographic

“It took a lot of self-confidence and a lot of hard work. It was a matter of working hard and knuckling down.”

Lachlan said there were moments when the trip was “pretty stressful”. He was threatened with detainment at one stage in Sri Lanka after being questioned by authorities.

“I just had to climb my way out,” he said.

“Never be afraid to give it a go because they sky is no longer the limit. It may seem like a crazy idea — it seemed like a crazy idea to be an 18-year-old flying around the world — but I got there in the end.”

The aviator is now working towards furthering his business, Young Achievers International, which aims to help people achieve their goals.

Lachlan, who is studying for a business and aviation qualification, says he has no plans to be commercial pilot.