Honourable senators, on December 13, at the age of 84, Roy Svenningsen of Edmonton broke a world record by being the oldest person ever to complete a marathon in Antarctica. In accomplishing this amazing feat, this great Canadian proved to the world that age is merely a number. And even though he spent a year training for this event, he spoke about how even Canada could not prepare him fully for what he faced in Antarctica.

To touch on the race very quickly, the Antarctic Ice Marathon covers a total of 42.2 kilometres spread between two international research stations. The race is known for its extreme conditions, with temperatures reaching as low as -20 degrees Celsius, often made worse by strong katabatic winds. It takes place 80 degrees south latitude at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains, only a few hundred miles from the South Pole.

Midway through the race, Roy felt weak and ill. Even after stopping for a soup break, he spoke about how the nausea and stomach cramps persisted. It was then that he decided time would not be of the essence; he just had to finish. With that in mind, he crossed the finish line with a time of 11 hours and 41 minutes.

Roy Svenningsen was born in Mayfair, Saskatchewan, in 1935. He grew up on a farm around 40 kilometres from North Battleford. He earned two degrees — a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Education — from the University of Alberta. He spent much of his career in the oil and gas industry, working in Canada and around the world.

He has finished more than 50 marathons on five continents. His strangest marathon, I’m told, was the Persian marathon that he ran in Tehran in 1977 and again in 1978. Apparently, all the instructions and directions were given in Farsi, and Roy doesn’t speak a word of that language. His fastest time is 2 hours and 38 minutes, which he accomplished in Helsinki, Finland. It’s a time that puts him in very elite company.

Having now put the Antarctica adventure behind him, his next goal is to join what runners call the Seven Continents Club by running a marathon on every continent. With Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and now Antarctica under his belt, he aims to race in Australia and South America within the next two years, so stay tuned for future reports.

I’m proud today, senators, to pay attribute to this inspirational Edmontonian, a great Canadian and my beloved uncle Roy Svenningsen.