Team Commonwealth led by polar guide and veteran Australian Geographic explorer Eric Phillips were on a trek to the South Pole, traversing 335km in 16 days. The adventure was organised by UK-based charity Walking With The Wounded, which raises funds to retrain injured soldiers so they can find long-term employment after they leave the armed forces.

Team Commonwealth included Australian soldiers, Seamus Donaghue and Heath Jamieson; Canadian soldiers, Alexandre Beaudin D’Anjou and Chris Downey; The Wire actor Dominic West and UK co-founder of Walking With the Wounded Simon Daglish.

Wounded Australian veteran Private Heath Jamieson talks with Prince Harry, member of Team UK. Heath was shot in the neck in Afghanistan in July 2011. Having been an Apache gunner with the British Army Air Corp, Prince Harry’s empathy for the veterans was heartfelt.

Corporal Seamus Donaghue’s sniper team was ambushed in Afghanistan’s Baluchi Valley in October 2010. Despite a machine gun bullet having passed through his right thigh and shattering his femur, he made completed 335km from the start of the race to the South Pole. 

Team US’s Alexander Skarsgard – Swedish actor and star of TV’s True Blood – preps camp for the evening. 

The Wire actor Dominic West, part of Team Commonwealth, gets ready to tuck in to a snack. Consuming at least 5500 calories a day was a significant challenge and required constant refuelling breaks while walking.

Team US head off for the day; their number included Ivan Castro, the only blind officer serving in the US Army Special Forces. The organisers cancelled the race aspect part way through the adventure on medical advice, opting for a combined assault on the pole instead.

Sastrugi – parallel, wave-like ridges of snow, something like sand dunes – made the going tough at various points.

There were 21 skiers and 11 people in the support team driving alongside – including the doctor, a media manager, camera crew, drivers, and a protection officer for Prince Harry.

The team’s arrival at the South Pole on Friday, 13 December was met with elation and relief from all. We strode the final metres into the circle of flags surrounding the iconic barber’s pole.

The Walking With The Wounded was set up to bring awareness and support to soldiers who have been injured on duty. The organisation helps soldiers get back to normal life after their injuries, providing support for education, jobs and rehabilitation.