Sophie Ballagh

Born with a paddle in her hands, Sophie has been kayaking for as long as she could walk. A Kiwi by blood but nomadic by heart, Sophie’s background is in outdoor education & instruction, having completed her Outdoor Diploma in 2005, where she then became a lecturer. She has designed & led expeditions throughout Asia, NZ, Canada & the remote islands of Papua New Guinea. She contracted the polar bug in 2012 & has been bi-polar ever since, migrating from pole to pole. In recent years, Sophie has been involved with implementing the Polar Tourism Guides Association, a non-profit organization creating internationally recognized processes for qualifying guides of the polar industry. She was an inaugural Board Member & is a Senior Polar Guide & Assessor. Sophie holds numerous outdoor instructor certificates, including whitewater & sea kayaking, navigation, rock climbing, and several boating & advanced wilderness first aid qualifications.