A young Bahraini adventurer who has travelled to some of the most far-flung corners of the world is embarking on a new journey to the frozen Arctic wilderness.

Amal Al Saffar, 22, told the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication, that she was inspired to see more of the world after losing two of her closest cousins to cancer.

This jarring experience gave her a renewed appreciation of life's temporal and fragile nature, she said - providing the impetus to embark on a series of adventures.

First came a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula in 2013, which is believed to be the first visit by a Bahraini woman to that continent, followed by an expedition to the top of Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, last year.

Al Saffar hopes her travels will inspire others to embrace every opportunity that life offers.

“I want all cancer patients in Bahrain and around the world to understand that the world has no limits,” she said.

“I lost two of my second cousins to breast cancer and my grandmother is also now suffering from the disease.

“Therefore I decided to give it my all to try and inspire all cancer patients in Bahrain and encourage them to make the most of their lives.

“They shouldn't be held back from the best moments of life because of their condition, which they think won't allow them to embark on adventures like healthy people.”

Al Saffar embarks on her latest 15-day adventure on August 1.

She is the only Bahraini among 40 others from different countries to take part in the trip to the frozen Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, organised by Quark Expeditions.

“Unfortunately no-one from Bahrain is joining me because of the extreme weather conditions or because they lack the courage or maybe because of the trip's cost,” she said.

“The most challenging part about the expedition is the weather and the polar bears that the area is known for.”

On her return, Al Saffar hopes to raise funds for cancer patients across Bahrain. - TradeArabia News Service