Omar Samra One Step Closer to Adventurers Grand Slam

By Egypt Today Staff Once again, Omar Samra beats the odds and masters another treacherous part of the world, carrying Egypt’s namesake with him. This time Samra conquered the South Pole, becoming the first Egyptian to reach the world’s most southern point on December 29. Samra skied his way to Antarctica’s southernmost spot and planted an Egyptian flag as a marker of his victory. The victory brings Samra one-step closer to completing the Adventurers Grand Slam, a challenge that only 40 people have completed. To be a master of the grand slam adventurers must conquer the North Pole, South Pole and climb all Seven Summits. Samra was the first Egyptian, and youngest Arab, to climb Mount Everest and has climbed the seven highest summits of the world’s seven continents. It took Samra a year and a half to find funding for his adventure until CIB agreed to step in and take the challenge. In December 2014, at a CIB sponsored press conference announcing Samra’s intentions, Samra spoke to Egypt Today and said, “I will attempt the North Pole in April 2015. I was also chosen to be the first Arab to embark on a trip to space and this dream will hopefully be met by the end of 2015 early 2016. Once I finish the Adventurers Grand Slam challenge and go to space I will be the first person in history to have completed all these challenges, which I’m very hopeful for.” With two out of the three challenges in the Adventurers Grand Slam completed, Samra only has the North Pole left to conquer in order to continue his streak as Egypt’s master of adventure. Samra also runs a travel company called Wild Guanabana and was an Egypt Today Person of the Year in 2013. Omneya Makhlouf contributed to this report.