Dulwich College Hosts Adventurer Ash Dykes, First Person to Walk Full Length of Yangtze River

As part of its annual Shackleton Lecture Series, Dulwich College Seoul welcomed Welsh adventurer Ash Dykes, who spoke on his incredible journey as the first person to walk the full length of the Yangtze River.

On the 4,000-mile (6,400 km) trek, which he completed on Aug. 12, the 28-year-old Dykes explained, “This has been more than a personal achievement; it is unlocking human potential and showcasing that in a world where every corner of the planet is occupied by people, there are still things that haven’t been done. I’ve shared my journeys with millions around the world, with the message ‘if I can, then you can too.’”

Dykes also completed the incredible feat of being the first recorded person to walk the 1,500-mile (2,400 km) length of Mongolia from west to east, solo and unsupported. He achieved this grueling feat in 78 days in 2014. Two years later in 2016, he became the first recorded person to traverse the length of inland Madagascar, trekking 1,600 miles (2,560 km) in just 155 days while climbing eight of the country’s highest mountains.

The Shackleton Lecture Series commemorates Dulwich College student and renowned explorer Ernest Shackleton, who led three heroic expeditions to the Antarctic in the early 20th century, and focuses on a theme which highlights the spirit of adventure.

“The Shackleton Lecture series celebrates extraordinary human capacity in the field of adventurous activities. Our guests exhibit ‘pioneering spirit,' and prove to our students that we are more capable than we might initially imagine. Today, Ash Dykes has inspired our students and faculty by sharing with us his unique and extraordinary achievements,” noted Graeme Salt, headmaster of Dulwich College Seoul.

In past years, Dulwich College Seoul had the opportunity to welcome British aviator Tracey Curtis-Taylor, renowned for her long-distance flights in a vintage open cockpit aircraft; Turkish-American ErdenEruç, the first person in history to complete a solo human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth; and the Hon. Alexandra Shackleton, the granddaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Dulwich College is one of the U.K.'s oldest independent schools, founded in South London as a boys’ school in 1619. Dulwich College International (DCI) was established to bring the Dulwich education to students around the world and is now one of the fastest growing U.K. independent school networks. Through DCI, Dulwich College has been in Asia for almost 15 years. The Dulwich network currently provides for over 7,200 students in 11 cities and five countries, with Colleges in London, the Pudong and Puxi districts of Shanghai, in Beijing, Suzhou, Seoul, Singapore and Yangon, International High Schools in Suzhou and Zhuhai, and a sister school in Dehong. Dulwich College Seoul opened in 2010, steadily expanded roll to accommodate over 650 students from age 3 to age 18, with over 40 different nationalities represented in diverse student body. Dulwich College Seoul is open to students who have one or two parents who do not have South Korean nationality as verified by an alien registration card and Korean family registry, as well as to Korean students who have lived overseas for no less than 3 years (1,095 days) as verified by the “Entry and Exit Certificate” issued by the Korean immigration department.