Justin is a rare sort of character and a close family friend of the Champalimauds — an adventurer in the truest sense, though one who wears his accomplishments lightly. A former officer in the British Army, including service in the Gulf War and with the United Nations, he later represented Britain in the Whitbread Round-the-World Yacht Race, summited Mount Everest, skied to the Geographic North Pole, crossed Antarctica, and retraced the legendary journeys of explorers including Shackleton, Scott, and Mallory.

Today, as Chairman of JORO, Justin continues to lead expeditions to some of the world’s most remote and extraordinary places, guided less by extravagance than by curiosity, resilience, and the enduring belief that adventure enlarges the spirit. As he recently remarked, “Exploration is about allowing your soul to sing.” It is this sensibility — thoughtful, ambitious, and deeply human — that makes time spent with him so memorable.

The Champalimauds have been fortunate to travel with Justin themselves, most recently through the north of Norway at the invitation of a mutual friend. It remains one of the more remarkable journeys they’ve shared.

More than anything, this evening is intended as a gathering of interesting people and an introduction to another — whose perspective on courage, endurance, and possibility may prove valuable to your own thoughts of adventure.