Antarctica 2

Tractor Girl

AKA Manon Ossevoort

Role

Expedition Ambassador & Lead Driver.

EXPERIENCE

Extensive experience driving a tractor around the world. And Polar training in Iqaluit, Northern Canada with ‘Northwinds Arctic’, Matty Mc Nair’s company.

WHAT 3 THINGS CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT ON THE TRIP?

Coffee, sleep and cuddles.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS FROM HOME?

Biba, the dog that has travelled with me on my tractor all those years through Africa. I now have a little baby daughter named Hannah; I will miss her more than anything in the world. And I’ll be so grateful to return home to her, and her daddy!

BIO

The 38-year-old Dutch actress and theatre maker, known by most people as Tractor Girl, has already travelled by tractor over 38,000 km from the Netherlands, through the Balkans, down through Africa to the Cape of Good Hope, collecting people’s dreams (written on pieces of paper and digitally) which she promised to bring to the South Pole. The adventures of the girl on the tractor were followed by people and media worldwide.
The Tractor Girl story is a story of one dream on its way to realisation, with all the ups and downs played out and shown publicly. The story gave a stage to the many inspiring people, projects and humanitarian organisations Tractor Girl encountered on her way, raising funds for the ones that truly make a difference. The aim is to turn this real life adventure story into a book, a docu-movie and of course a children’s book (about a tractor, a girl and a dog that go on an adventure).

WHY ANTARCTICA2?

As a theatre maker I created a seemingly impossible adventure story of a girl travelling to the end of the world on her tractor. But then I thought: what is the ‘End of the World’? A child could say: the South Pole! Because it sounds like going to the moon on a tractor, but maybe it is possible! An adult may say: a country torn by famine or war, a place where people lose hope. Both voices said: go! I realised that if I would put this story into reality, I could tell stories about real people and the real world that are inspiring! So I thought: maybe we should just do it! And that became the motto of my journey: sometimes you just have to do it!

Tractor Girl arrives in south Africa

Sometimes you just have to do it

After nearly 4 years and travelling over 38,000km with my tractor and a dog I arrived on the ‘Cape of Good Hope’, South Africa. All these years I’d been searching for beautiful projects, initiatives and inspiring people’s stories. And I’ve collected (on film, in photos and in writing) so many stories that inspire courage, that prove that ‘sometimes you just have to do it!’

While travelling I’ve collected dreams of people everywhere. Wishes, written on small pieces of paper, and they’ve travelled with me on the back of the tractor. The Antarctica2 expedition sees me take them all the way to the South Pole and there I want to build this big snowman with the dreams of the world in its belly. Keeping a document of the dreams of the world for future generations. I hope that people will hear about this story and think to themselves: if you can drive a tractor all the way to the South Pole, and be safe, maybe this one dream that I have is also possible. Maybe I should just do it!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE EXPEDITION?

Travelling through the mountains and the crevasse area. But maybe that’s going to be the scariest part. The toughest part would then be the areas with sastrugi, frozen ‘snow waves’, they will make for an extremely bouncy tractor-ride!

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR TOUGHEST CHALLENGE SO FAR?

Three years of bush camping and solo travelling in Africa with an old tractor and a dog I’d adopted on my way.
Seeing this project come to completion, to never give up and keep positively working towards that seemingly impossible goal: setting up and undertaking a South Pole expedition by tractor and finding all the help, support and finance needed for doing that. It’s become a ‘life work’. Now, 12 years after I created the concept and decided to ‘do it’, it’s finally going to happen! The real-life happy ending to the adventure story I once invented/dreamt up/ envisioned.

GALLERY

SEE ALL THE LATEST PHOTOS AND VIDEO DIARY ENTRIES

24^th Jun

MF 5610 reached the South Pole on 9th December 2014.

24^th Jun

Manon is proud to receive her Guinness Book of World Records Certificate.

22^nd Jun

Nancie Clanachan from Maryholm Farm, Scotland collects her prize.

22^nd Jun

The MF 5610 which conquered the South Pole.

22^nd Jun

The MF 5610 Antarctica2 Special Edition tractor.

16^th Mar

The Abbey Park Team welcome Manon Ossevoort and Simon Foster back to Abbey

16^th Mar

Declan Hayden, Vice President, Global Sales & Operations Planning congr

16^th Mar

Simon Foster, Creative Director and Audio Visual Lead & Manon Ossevoort

22^nd Feb

The MF 5610 tractor at the South Pole on 9^th December 2014.

22^nd Feb

The MF 5610 helped fulfil a lifelong dream to drive a tractor to the ‘end o

17^th Feb

Employees at Massey Ferguson in Beauvais, France gather to welcome home the

17^th Feb

Manon Ossevoort hands back the keys of the MF 5610 to Richard Markwell, Vic

17^th Feb

A police escort accompanied the MF 5610 Antarctica2 tractor on its return t

17^th Feb

Antarctica2 MF 5610 at the Beauvais 2 Training Centre with Simon, Manon and

17^th Feb

The MF 5610 Antarctica2 tractor was welcomed home to Beauvais by the MF wor

17^th Feb

The Antarctica2 tractor stands proudly outside the Town Hall (La Mairie) in

12^th Feb

Manon, The World's Dreams and a Snowman.

12^th Feb

Manon Building Her Snowman.

12^th Feb

The MF 5610 Details in The Snow.

20^th Dec

Manon Ossevoort gave a grateful hug to the MF 5610 tractor.

20^th Dec

Emotional celebrations for the Antarctica2 team.

20^th Dec

The MF 5610 helped Manon fulfil a 12-year dream.

19^th Dec

Cameraman Simon Foster as the Antarctica2 tractor expedition gets closer.

19^th Dec

#BelieveInIt is helping to drive the team towards their final goal.

18^th Dec

So near yet so far - the Antarctica2 team is on the home-straight.

15^th Dec

The Antarctica2 tractor expedition is a constant challenge.

15^th Dec

The Antarctica2 team has completed 850 km of its return journey.

15^th Dec

The weather closed in on the Antarctica2 tractor expedition.

9^th Dec

Antarctica2 Day 9: Manon Ossevoort and team have reached the South Pole.

9^th Dec

Matty McNair, Antarctica2 Expedition Lead Guide.

9^th Dec

Sir Edmund Hillary's telegram from 1958 after reaching the South Pole.

9^th Dec

Taking the ultimate selfie at the South Pole.

8^th Dec

Antarctica2 Day 7: The team are almost halfway.

4^th Dec

Conditions are still tough for the Antarctica2 expedition team.

3^rd Dec

The Antarctica2 tractor has had to overcome a range of surface conditions.

3^rd Dec

The MF 5610 has been up against temperatures as low as minus 56 C.

3^rd Dec

The Antarctica2 tractor has had to overcome a range of surface conditions.

3^rd Dec

The MF 5610 tractor on Day 6 of the trip.

1^st Dec

Daily update from Nicolas Bachelet, Antarctica2 Lead Mechanic

1^st Dec

'Tractor Girl', Manon Ossevoort at the wheel of the MF 5610.

1^st Dec

The expedition tractor's tyre pressure was reduced to 5 psi.

30^th Nov

Day 9 of Antarctica2: Daily update from Nicolas Bachelet

29^th Nov

MF 5610 tractor battling across the brutal icescape in the Anatrctica2 expe

29^th Nov

The MF 5610 expedition tractor making its way through the mountains.

29^th Nov

Lead Driver, Manon Ossevoort

28^th Nov

Antarctica2: How to set up the tractor tent

27^th Nov

The Antarctica2 team were treated to stunning views across the icescape.

27^th Nov

The MF 5610 tractor's forward speed on the ice has ranged from as high 22 k

26^th Nov

Antarctica 2 Team At Their First Camp, Day 3.

25^th Nov

The The MF 5610 tractor is coping well with the challenges posted by the An

25^th Nov

The Antarctica2 expedition team had amazing views of the Nunatak peaks thru

25^th Nov

Manon Ossevoort, Lead Driver of the MF 5610 tractor looks out across the br

25^th Nov

Daily update from Matty.

25^th Nov

Daily update from Manon.

25^th Nov

Day 3 of Antarctica2: Climbing a Mountain.

24^th Nov

The Antarctica2 crew depart Novo Runway.

24^th Nov

The multi-national team departed on the 22/11/2014.

24^th Nov

The exciting tractor expedition begins .

24^th Nov

Manon Ossevoort at the wheel of the Massey Ferguson.

23^rd Nov

Antarctica2: How to set up a tent.

22^nd Nov

Antarctica2 crew at Novo Runway.

22^nd Nov

Antarctica2 tractor arrives in Antarctica.

21^st Nov

Dutch-born Manon Ossevoort is the Expedition Ambassador.

19^th Nov

Happy Birthday to Massey Ferguson from the Antarctica2 Crew

19^th Nov

The MF 5610 tractor gets its first taste of the Antarctic.

18^th Nov

Manon Osservort, Expedition Ambassador and Lead Driver

18^th Nov

Matty McNair, Expedition Lead Guide

18^th Nov

Simon Foster, Creative Director and Audio-Visual Lead

18^th Nov

Sarah McNair-Landry, Expedition Guide and Audio-Visual Support

18^th Nov

Nicolas Bachelet, Lead Mechanic

18^th Nov

Arnór Ingólfsson, Expedition Leader and Arctic Truck Driver 1

18^th Nov

Jóhannes Guðmundsson, Arctic Truck Driver 2

18^th Nov

The tractor is on its way

4^th Sep

The MF 5610 in front of the erupting Bardarbunga.

4^th Sep

The team setting up their tent in Iceland.

4^th Sep

Setting up camp in Iceland

3^rd Sep

Testing the the MF 5610 in Iceland

1^st Sep

The MF 5610 being put through its paces in Iceland.

1^st Sep

The team preparing for the tough Antarctic terrain

3^rd Sep

The MF 5610 undergoes more testing in the cold chamber.

3^rd Sep

The MF 5610 will face temperatures as low as minus 40 C.

12^th Sep

The MF 5610 and Toyota Hilux AT44 trucks

3^rd Sep

The ultimate polar tractor undergoing testing.

12^th Aug

The MF 5610 being tested in the cold chamber.

12^th Aug

The MF 5610 during cold chamber testing