Cas and Jonesy on a Sony good mission

From crossing the ditch to crossing the ice, Aussie adventurers announce world-first Antarctic attempt to raise funds for Sony Foundation's charitable campaign You Can in support of young people with cancer.

Home grown adventurers Cas and Jonesy made history in 2008 when they became the first people to kayak from Australia to New Zealand. The epic voyage captured the hearts, minds and imagination of the nation, and in 2011, the pair is set to create a new world record as they walk from the edge of the Antarctic to the South Pole and back again.

The adventure starts in just 75 days. In 100 years of polar exploration no one has ever managed to achieve this feat, which borders on the limit of human endurance. Cas (James Castrission, 29) and Jonesy (Justin Jones, 28) will each transport everything they need to survive for the three-month trek in two 160kg sleds, which they will drag over 2,200 kilometres through one of the Earth's harshest environments. The expedition will coincide with the 100 year centenary of Scott and Amundsen's race to the South Pole.

The expedition endeavours to raise funds for the Sony Foundation charitable campaign You Can, which supports young people in Australia with cancer. Young Australians with cancer do not receive specialist treatment and are placed in either paediatric or adult wards.

SPONSOR A STEP:

Supporters of Cas and Jonesy can Sponsor a Step of their Antarctic adventure with all funds raised going towards the creation of specialist youth cancer centres.

James Castrission (Cas) said: "The Tasman was just a warm-up as Antarctica is going to be far more demanding, both physically and mentally. The ever-present risk of yawning crevasses, piercing cold, hypothermia and frostbite are challenges we will need to deal with on a daily basis.

"Although we're pushing our bodies to the limit, we know that our challenge is nothing in comparison to the journey that young Aussies with cancer have so we want to share our story and raise these funds in a spirit of solidarity," Castrission continued.

The challenging journey will be captured and shared using the latest range of Sony Bloggie cameras (Sony is an expedition sponsor), which will deliver high-definition images from the remote, icy Antarctic environment. In support of the campaign, five dollars from every Bloggie purchased will also be donated to You Can - to help create a better future for young Australians with cancer.

Justin Jones (Jonesy) said: "These big expeditions are about meticulous planning, preparation and getting your systems right. We recently trained for a month in the Arctic, which let us refine the exact gear we'll need. It was tough but recently sharing the journey that some of our own friends with cancer have gone through has made us all the more determined to achieve this world first.

"Bulking up while training for up to ten hours a day is the first of our challenges. Even though we will eat the equivalent of 15 big burgers each day, Cas and I are expecting to lose between 20-30kgs by the time the expedition is complete. It's all a bit crazy, but we think we're the right team to achieve this and can't wait to share this journey with everyone," Jones continued.

To follow this record-breaking adventure, visit www.casandjonesy.com.au.

About You Can:

With cancer the leading cause of disease-related death amongst Australia's teenagers, there is an obvious and urgent need for action. A unique collaboration between governments, not-for-profit organisations, corporate and community support is helping to create a better future for young Australians with cancer. Sony Foundation is proud to play its role in this life-saving initiative, by aiming to raise $15 million in conjunction with long time charity partner CanTeen.

For more information on the You Can campaign and how to contribute, visit www.youcan.org.au.

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