Hooper was born in
Portsmouth Hooper and Gauntlett frequently discussed their dream of climbing
Mount Everest, which was sparked in 2003 when they were 16. They prepared by climbing
Mont Blanc in 2005 and a selection of other peaks, guided by their school's climbing instructor, and cycling through
Europe. In 2007, Hooper and Gauntlett began their next expedition, "180° Pole-to-Pole": the first trip from the
North Magnetic Pole to the
South Magnetic Pole (a journey of ) using only human and natural power, in order to raise awareness of
climate change. Starting north of
Greenland in April 2007, they skied, sledded, cycled and sailed until they reached the
Antarctic in April 2008, after 409 days. They were subsequently awarded the
National Geographic Adventurers of the Year prize for 2008. until moving to Australia to complete his
doctorate at
the University of Wollongong. He has been a Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Science at
Dongguk University, Korea since May 2020. (Ilya Belyakov's English 82 Questions with James Hooper on YouTube) ==References==