American man Colin O’Brady has become the first person to cross Antarctica alone and without assistance.</s>An Oregon man became the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance on Wednesday, trekking across the polar continent in an epic 54-day journey that was previously deemed impossible.Colin O'Brady, of Portland, finished the bone-chilling, 930-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete's progress in real time online."I did it!" a tearful O'Brady said on a call to his family gathered in Portland for the holidays, according to his wife, Jenna Besaw."It was an emotional call," she said. "He seemed overwhelmed by love and gratitude, and he really wanted to say 'Thank you' to all of us."O'Brady was sleeping near the finish line in Antarctica late Wednesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.The 33-year-old O'Brady documented his nearly entirely uphill journey - which he called The Impossible First - on his Instagram page . He wrote Wednesday that he covered the last roughly 80 miles (129 kilometers) in one big, impromptu final push to the finish line that took well over an entire day."While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced," O'Brady posted.The day before, he posted that he was "in the zone" and thought he could make it to the end in one go."I'm listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe," he wrote. "I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife - I promised them I will stop when I need to."Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward.In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died attempting an unassisted solo trip across Antarctica, collapsing from exhaustion toward the end of the trek. Worsley's friend and fellow English adventurer Louis Rudd is currently attempting an unaided solo in Worsley's honor and was competing against O'Brady to be the first to do it.Besaw said O'Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, hopefully in the next few days."It's a small club," she joked. "His intention is to wait for Louis and have kind of a celebratory moment with the only other person on the planet to have accomplished this same thing."O'Brady described in detail the ups and downs along the way since he began the trek on Nov. 3. He had to haul 375 pounds (170 kilograms) of gear largely uphill and over sastrugi, wave-like ridges created by wind."Not only am I pulling my ... sled all day, but I'm pulling it up and over thousands of these sastrugi speed bumps created by the violent wind," he wrote in an Instagram post on Nov. 12. "It's a frustrating process at times to say the least."On Nov. 18, he wrote that he awoke to find his sled completely buried from an all-night blasting of wind and snow. That day he battled a 30 mph (48 kph) headwind for eight hours as he trudged along."There were several times I considered stopping, putting my tent back up and calling it a day," he wrote. "I wanted so badly to quit today as I was feeling exhausted and alone, but remembering all of the positivity that so many people have been sending, I took a deep breath and focused on maintaining forward progress one step at a time and managed to finish a full day."On Day 37, or Dec. 9, O'Brady wrote about how much he's changed, along with a selfie in which he looks almost in pain, snow gathered around his furry hat."I'm no longer the same person I was when I left on the journey, can you see it in my face?" he wrote. "I've suffered, been deathly afraid, cold and alone. I've laughed and danced, cried tears of joy and been awestruck with love and inspiration."Though O'Brady had initially thought he'd want a cheeseburger at the end of his nearly impossible journey, Besaw said her husband has been fantasizing about fresh fish and salad because he has mostly been eating freeze-dried foods.As for what's next for O'Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she's not entirely sure."We are just so in the moment celebrating this right now," she said. "Then we'll see what's next on the horizon."----------</s>An Oregon man became the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance on Wednesday, trekking across the polar continent in an epic 54-day journey that was previously deemed impossible.

Colin O'Brady, of Portland, finished the bone-chilling, 930-mile journey as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete's progress in real time online.

"I did it!" a tearful O'Brady said on a call to his family gathered in Portland for the holidays, according to his wife, Jenna Besaw.

"It was an emotional call," she said. "He seemed overwhelmed by love and gratitude, and he really wanted to say 'Thank you' to all of us."

O'Brady was sleeping near the finish line in Antarctica late Wednesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

The 33-year-old O'Brady documented his nearly entirely uphill journey — which he called The Impossible First — on his Instagram page . He wrote Wednesday that he covered the last roughly 80 miles in one big, impromptu final push to the finish line that took well over an entire day.

"While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced," O'Brady posted.

The day before, he posted that he was "in the zone" and thought he could make it to the end in one go.

"I'm listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe," he wrote. "I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife — I promised them I will stop when I need to."

Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward.

In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died attempting an unassisted solo trip across Antarctica, collapsing from exhaustion toward the end of the trek. Worsley's friend and fellow English adventurer Louis Rudd is currently attempting an unaided solo in Worsley's honor and was competing against O'Brady to be the first to do it.

Besaw said O'Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, hopefully in the next few days.

"It's a small club," she joked. "His intention is to wait for Louis and have kind of a celebratory moment with the only other person on the planet to have accomplished this same thing."

O'Brady described in detail the ups and downs along the way since he began the trek on Nov. 3. He had to haul 375 pounds of gear largely uphill and over sastrugi, wave-like ridges created by wind.

"Not only am I pulling my ... sled all day, but I'm pulling it up and over thousands of these sastrugi speed bumps created by the violent wind," he wrote in an Instagram post on Nov. 12. "It's a frustrating process at times to say the least."

On Nov. 18, he wrote that he awoke to find his sled completely buried from an all-night blasting of wind and snow. That day he battled a 30 mph headwind for eight hours as he trudged along.

"There were several times I considered stopping, putting my tent back up and calling it a day," he wrote. "I wanted so badly to quit today as I was feeling exhausted and alone, but remembering all of the positivity that so many people have been sending, I took a deep breath and focused on maintaining forward progress one step at a time and managed to finish a full day."

On Day 37, or Dec. 9, O'Brady wrote about how much he's changed, along with a selfie in which he looks almost in pain, snow gathered around his furry hat.

"I'm no longer the same person I was when I left on the journey, can you see it in my face?" he wrote. "I've suffered, been deathly afraid, cold and alone. I've laughed and danced, cried tears of joy and been awestruck with love and inspiration."

Though O'Brady had initially thought he'd want a cheeseburger at the end of his nearly impossible journey, Besaw said her husband has been fantasizing about fresh fish and salad because he has mostly been eating freeze-dried foods.

As for what's next for O'Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she's not entirely sure.

"We are just so in the moment celebrating this right now," she said. "Then we'll see what's next on the horizon."

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Colin O’Brady has earned himself another world record by becoming the first person to complete a solo, unaided trip across Antarctica.

The 33-year-old American athlete and explorer began his journey almost two months ago and finally finished the 932-mile trek on Wednesday. He started to cross the final 77.54 miles early Christmas morning in “one continuous ‘Antarctica Ultramarathon’ push to the finish line,” which he completed in just over 32 hours, he wrote on Instagram.



“I don’t know, something overcame me,” O’Brady said in a telephone interview with the . “I just felt locked in for the last 32 hours, like a deep flow state.”

“I didn’t listen to any music — just locked in, like I’m going until I’m done,” he continued. “It was profound, it was beautiful, and it was an amazing way to finish up the project.”

O’Brady commemorated his accomplishment on Instagram as well and has been documenting his entire journey there.

“The wooden post in the background of this picture marks the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, where Antarctica’s land mass ends and the sea ice begins,” he wrote on Wednesday. “As I pulled my sled over this invisible line, I accomplished my goal: to become the first person in history to traverse the continent of Antarctica coast to coast solo, unsupported and unaided.”

O’Brady said he only had one thing on his mind once he took his final step: his family and wife, Jenna Besaw. Immediately upon finishing, he gave her an emotional call.

“I want to simply recognize my #1 who I, of course, called immediately upon finishing. I burst into tears making this call. I was never alone out there. @jennabesaw you walked every step with me and guided me with your courage and strength. WE DID IT!! We turned our dream into reality,” he wrote on Instagram.

This is not O’Brady’s first “impossible feat” accomplished: He is a two-time record holder for the speed records in the Explorers Grand Slam and Seven Summits (skiing to the North and South Poles, along with climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents).

“I was getting emotional, nostalgic,” O’Brady told the about his last Antarctic stretch.

“I was reviewing the entirety of the expedition in my mind,” he said, “and I was aware I’m going to tell this story for the rest of my life, but I told myself: You’re living this right now — live it! It was just getting deep with the senses. What does it sound like when your skis scrape against the snow? What does it taste like out here? Really just try and just live the experience.”</s>(CBSDFW.COM/AP) – An Oregon man became the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance on Wednesday, trekking across the polar continent in an epic 54-day journey that was previously deemed impossible.

Colin O’Brady, of Portland, finished the bone-chilling, 930-mile journey as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete’s progress in real time online.

“I did it!” a tearful O’Brady said on a call to his family gathered in Portland for the holidays, according to his wife, Jenna Besaw.

“It was an emotional call,” she said. “He seemed overwhelmed by love and gratitude, and he really wanted to say ‘Thank you’ to all of us.”

O’Brady was sleeping near the finish line in Antarctica late Wednesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

The 33-year-old O’Brady documented his nearly entirely uphill journey — which he called The Impossible First — on his Instagram page . He wrote Wednesday that he covered the last roughly 80 miles in one big, impromptu final push to the finish line that took well over an entire day.

“While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced,” O’Brady posted.

The day before, he posted that he was “in the zone” and thought he could make it to the end in one go.

“I’m listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe,” he wrote. “I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife — I promised them I will stop when I need to.”

Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward.

In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died attempting an unassisted solo trip across Antarctica, collapsing from exhaustion toward the end of the trek. Worsley’s friend and fellow English adventurer Louis Rudd is currently attempting an unaided solo in Worsley’s honor and was competing against O’Brady to be the first to do it.

Besaw said O’Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, hopefully in the next few days.

“It’s a small club,” she joked. “His intention is to wait for Louis and have kind of a celebratory moment with the only other person on the planet to have accomplished this same thing.”\

O’Brady has beaten overwhelming odds before, according to a CBS News report. His legs were badly burned in Thailand about ten years ago, and he was told he wouldn’t walk normally again. After that, he re-learned to walk and then went on to win the Chicago Triathalon 18 months after that accident.

O’Brady described in detail the ups and downs along the way since he began the trek on Nov. 3. He had to haul 375 pounds of gear largely uphill and over sastrugi, wave-like ridges created by wind.

“Not only am I pulling my … sled all day, but I’m pulling it up and over thousands of these sastrugi speed bumps created by the violent wind,” he wrote in an Instagram post on Nov. 12. “It’s a frustrating process at times to say the least.”

On Nov. 18, he wrote that he awoke to find his sled completely buried from an all-night blasting of wind and snow. That day he battled a 30 mph headwind for eight hours as he trudged along.

“There were several times I considered stopping, putting my tent back up and calling it a day,” he wrote. “I wanted so badly to quit today as I was feeling exhausted and alone, but remembering all of the positivity that so many people have been sending, I took a deep breath and focused on maintaining forward progress one step at a time and managed to finish a full day.”

On Day 37, or Dec. 9, O’Brady wrote about how much he’s changed, along with a selfie in which he looks almost in pain, snow gathered around his furry hat.

“I’m no longer the same person I was when I left on the journey, can you see it in my face?” he wrote. “I’ve suffered, been deathly afraid, cold and alone. I’ve laughed and danced, cried tears of joy and been awestruck with love and inspiration.”

Though O’Brady had initially thought he’d want a cheeseburger at the end of his nearly impossible journey, Besaw said her husband has been fantasizing about fresh fish and salad because he has mostly been eating freeze-dried foods.

As for what’s next for O’Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she’s not entirely sure.

“We are just so in the moment celebrating this right now,” she said. “Then we’ll see what’s next on the horizon.”</s>An Oregon man became the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance on Wednesday, trekking across the polar continent in an epic 54-day journey that was previously deemed impossible.

Colin O’Brady, of Portland, finished the bone-chilling, 930-mile journey as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete’s progress in real time online.

“I did it!” a tearful Brady said on a call to his family gathered in Portland for the holidays, according to his wife, Jenna Besaw.

“It was an emotional call,” she said. “He seemed overwhelmed by love and gratitude, and he really wanted to say ‘Thank you’ to all of us.”

O’Brady was sleeping near the finish line in Antarctica late Wednesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

The 33-year-old O’Brady documented his nearly entirely uphill journey – which he called The Impossible First – on his Instagram page. He wrote Wednesday that he covered the last roughly 80 miles in one big, impromptu final push to the finish line that took well over an entire day.

“While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced,” O’Brady posted. The day before, he posted that he was “in the zone” and thought he could make it to the end in one go.

“I’m listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe,” he wrote. “I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife – I promised them I will stop when I need to.”

Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward.

In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died attempting an unassisted solo trip across Antarctica, collapsing from exhaustion toward the end of the trek. Worsley’s friend and fellow English adventurer Louis Rudd is currently attempting an unaided solo in Worsley’s honor and was competing against O’Brady to be the first to do it.

Besaw said O’Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, hopefully in the next few days.

“It’s a small club,” she joked. “His intention is to wait for Louis and have kind of a celebratory moment with the only other person on the planet to have accomplished this same thing.”

O’Brady described in detail the ups and downs along the way since he began the trek on Nov. 3. He had to haul 375 pounds of gear largely uphill and over sastrugi, wave-like ridges created by wind.

“Not only am I pulling my … sled all day, but I’m pulling it up and over thousands of these sastrugi speed bumps created by the violent wind,” he wrote in an Instagram post on Nov. 12. “It’s a frustrating process at times to say the least.”

On Nov. 18, he wrote that he awoke to find his sled completely buried from an all-night blasting of wind and snow. That day he battled a 30 mph (48 kph) headwind for eight hours as he trudged along.

“There were several times I considered stopping, putting my tent back up and calling it a day,” he wrote. “I wanted so badly to quit today as I was feeling exhausted and alone, but remembering all of the positivity that so many people have been sending, I took a deep breath and focused on maintaining forward progress one step at a time and managed to finish a full day.”

On Day 37, or Dec. 9, O’Brady wrote about how much he’s changed, along with a selfie in which he looks almost in pain, snow gathered around his furry hat.

“I’m no longer the same person I was when I left on the journey, can you see it in my face?” he wrote. “I’ve suffered, been deathly afraid, cold and alone. I’ve laughed and danced, cried tears of joy and been awestruck with love and inspiration.”

Though O’Brady had initially thought he’d want a cheeseburger at the end of his nearly impossible journey, Besaw said her husband has been fantasizing about fresh fish and salad because he has mostly been eating freeze-dried foods.

As for what’s next for O’Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she’s not entirely sure.

“We are just so in the moment celebrating this right now,” she said. “Then we’ll see what’s next on the horizon.”</s>Lonely Planet Images/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — American Colin O’Brady became the first person to complete a solo journey across Antarctica, unaided and unsupported, after finishing a two-month expedition in frigid temperatures and winds of 30 mph on Wednesday.

“The wooden post in the background of this picture marks the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, where Antarctica’s land mass ends and the sea ice begins,” O’Brady wrote to his more than 109,000 followers on Instagram upon completing his journey.

“As I pulled my sled over this invisible line, I accomplished my goal: to become the first person in history to traverse the continent of Antarctica coast to coast solo, unsupported and unaided,” O’Brady wrote.

A day before reaching the Ross Ice Shelf, O’Brady wrote to his followers that he planned on pushing through the last 80 miles to the finish line.

“As I was boiling water for my morning oatmeal, a seemingly impossible question popped into my head,” O’Brady wrote. “I wonder, would be possible to do one straight continuous push all the way to the end?”

Thirty-two hours after he laced up his boots — delirious and sleepless — he took a selfie in front of the wooden post, making history.

In 2008, while traveling in Thailand, O’Brady’s legs and feet were severely burned in a fire. He was told by doctors that he was unlikely to walk normally again, but he was determined to “beat the odds,” according to his website.

Just 18 months after the fire, O’Brady won first place in the first triathlon he competed in since the incident.

He has competed in various sports competitions since and is part of a rarefied group to finish the Explorers Grand Slam, an expedition to summit the tallest peaks in every continent and ski the last degree to the North Pole and South Pole in 2016. He broke two world records in the process: one for becoming the fastest person to finish the Explorers Grand Slam in 139 days and the second for being the fastest pace to climb the Seven Summits in only 132 days.

Another adventurer, Englishman Louis Rudd, is also trying to complete the journey across Antarctica unaided. He has currently completed 90 percent of his journey and is expected to reach Ross Ice Shelf on Dec. 29.

O’Brady told The New York Times that he planned on setting up camp, closing his eyes and waiting for Rudd.

“My eyes are shutting,” O’Brady said. “My plan is to wait here for Lou and fly to Union Glacier together.”

ABC News could not reach O’Brady for comment.</s>Image copyright Colin O'Brady Image caption Colin O'Brady's Instagram page features a daily selfie of his chores, such as securing his tent each night

A 33-year-old American man has become the first person to cross Antarctica alone and unassisted.

Explorer Colin O'Brady finished in 53 days, ahead of British Army Captain Louis Rudd, 49, after an epic race across the ice.

Both men set out on 3 November to complete the journey, which killed a British ex-Army officer two years ago.

The 921-mile (1,482km) trek took them across the coldest continent on Earth in some of the most extreme conditions.

O'Brady, a pro-athlete who posts his milestones on social media, spoke to the BBC on one his harshest days.

"I'm tired, man. I'm exhausted, but I'm making steady progress every day," he said from his satellite phone on 20 December - Day 47 - as he camped amid a storm and massive ridges of ice and snow known as sastrugi.

After a day which was like being "in the inside of a ping-pong ball" O'Brady said he was grateful to have negotiated the wavelike ridges of hard snow and ice in low visibility without having broken a leg.

"I've been dragging an almost 375lb (170kg) sled for 12-13 hours per day through the coldest harshest place in the world," he said, adding that he had lost so much weight that his wristwatch had been slipping off and he is "scared" to look at his unclothed body.

Race over ice

The two men set off from the Ronne Ice Shelf after poor weather delayed their start for several days.

Only days earlier they had met for the first time at a hotel bar in Chile and agreed to turn their separate attempts to cross solo and unaided into a formal competition.

Both men come from very different backgrounds. In 2008 O'Brady suffered severe burns to 25% of his body during a holiday in Thailand, leading doctors to tell him that he may never walk normally again.

He recovered and went on to race in triathlons before climbing each of the Seven Summits - the highest peaks on every continent.

He has also skied to both the north and south pole and hiked to the highest point in every US state.

Image copyright Colin O'Brady Image caption O'Brady wore tape on his face to stave off frostbite

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Sastrugi are hard wave-like ridges in the ice that can be extremely difficult to navigate

Throughout it all, he has posted words of inspiration on Instagram, and used his satellite phone to take a question each night from one of the thousands of students who have followed his solo expedition.

Rudd, a father of three, was given leave from the military where he has spent his career, in order to train and attempt to make the crossing.

He was inspired to attempt the adventure after the death of his friend and colleague, Henry Worsley, along the same route.

Worsley died of an illness after he was rescued only 30 miles from the finish line - the Ross Ice Shelf.

Image copyright British army Image caption Capt Louis Rudd has served in the Army for 33 years

In his daily dispatch from the ice on Christmas Eve, Rudd described carrying Worsley's flag to the places that his friend had come so close to reaching.

"I'm carrying Henry's flag... that he carried on all his journeys, and it's really important to me that, this time, the flag goes all the way, and completes the journey right to the end," he said, before completing his posts as he always does.

"Onwards..."

High, dry and cold

Antarctica is well-known as the coldest continent on Earth, but it is also the highest and driest.

The cold freezes all moisture, technically making the landscape a desert.

Mile-thick sheets of ice covering the continent also make it the highest average-elevation landmass with a peak that the men reach of 9,613ft.

Sunlight, which shines 24 hours a day in the summer, O'Brady says, "is weird and disorienting but I actually kinda like it," since it allows him to charge his solar panels.

The men must carry all the calories they will consume throughout the journey, a nearly impossible task considering their level of energy exertion, and boil ice and snow for all their drinking water.

Image copyright Louis Rudd Image caption Capt Rudd sent voice despatches from the ice along his journey

Apart from occasionally spotting each other as specks on the horizon, they have seen very few forms of life.

At the South Pole, O'Brady says he saw some signs of life from the polar researchers stationed there, but was forbidden from accepting any help which would have prevented him from achieving his goal unaided.

Image copyright Colin O'Brady Image caption O'Brady eats his morning oatmeal in near white-out conditions

Before bed, they each pack all their wet clothes into their sleeping bag, so they could use their body heat to dry the gear throughout the night.

But soon they will be back in their beds, looking back on their accomplishment and dreaming of the next previously-impossible goal.</s>American endurance athlete Colin O’Brady became the first person to cross Antarctica solo without help after 54 days traversing the barren, frigid continent, he said in an Instagram post.

O’Brady revealed Wednesday that he covered the final 80 miles in one continuous push to the finish line that lasted more than 32 hours.

A wooden post in the background of the photo O’Brady shared on Instagram, he said, is the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, which marked the end of his trip.

“As I pulled my sled over this invisible line, I accomplished my goal: to become the first person in history to traverse the continent of Antarctica coast to coast solo, unsupported and unaided,” he wrote.

“While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced. I was locked in a deep flow state the entire time, equally focused on the end goal, while allowing my mind to recount the profound lessons of this journey.”

O’Brady began his trek at the Ronne Ice Shelf, traveled from there to the South Pole, and then crossed to the Ross Ice Shelf, he said. He documented much of the trip on his Instagram page, even as he fought fierce wind storms, subzero temperatures and whiteout conditions.

To complete the trip, he needed to cross several mountainous areas and travel over miles of sastrugi, which are hard wavelike ridges in the snow and ice formed by wind.

O’Brady is not the first to attempt the trip. British explorer Henry Worsley tried a solo trek of Antarctica in 2016, but he had to be rescued 30 miles from the finish and later died of an infection. He had traveled for 71 days unaided before that point.

Worsley launched the attempt a century after Ernest Shackleton, the famed Antarctic explorer, survived a failed attempt to cross the continent.

Another explorer, Lou Rudd, began a solo trek of Antarctica without help on the same day as O’Brady did. Rudd reached the South Pole on December 13 and is about 90% done with the trip, according to a Shackleton brand webpage set up to track his expedition.</s>An Oregon man became the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance on Wednesday, trekking across the polar continent in an epic 54-day journey that was previously deemed impossible.

Colin O'Brady, of Portland, finished the bone-chilling, 930-mile journey as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete's progress in real time online.

"I did it!" a tearful O'Brady said on a call to his family gathered in Portland for the holidays, according to his wife, Jenna Besaw.

"It was an emotional call," she said. "He seemed overwhelmed by love and gratitude, and he really wanted to say 'Thank you' to all of us."

O'Brady was sleeping near the finish line in Antarctica late Wednesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

The 33-year-old O'Brady documented his nearly entirely uphill journey — which he called The Impossible First — on his Instagram page . He wrote Wednesday that he covered the last roughly 80 miles in one big, impromptu final push to the finish line that took well over an entire day.

"While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced," O'Brady posted.

The day before, he posted that he was "in the zone" and thought he could make it to the end in one go.

"I'm listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe," he wrote. "I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife — I promised them I will stop when I need to."

Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward.

In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died attempting an unassisted solo trip across Antarctica, collapsing from exhaustion toward the end of the trek. Worsley's friend and fellow English adventurer Louis Rudd is currently attempting an unaided solo in Worsley's honor and was competing against O'Brady to be the first to do it.

Besaw said O'Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, hopefully in the next few days.

"It's a small club," she joked. "His intention is to wait for Louis and have kind of a celebratory moment with the only other person on the planet to have accomplished this same thing."

O'Brady described in detail the ups and downs along the way since he began the trek on Nov. 3. He had to haul 375 pounds of gear largely uphill and over sastrugi, wave-like ridges created by wind.

"Not only am I pulling my ... sled all day, but I'm pulling it up and over thousands of these sastrugi speed bumps created by the violent wind," he wrote in an Instagram post on Nov. 12. "It's a frustrating process at times to say the least."

On Nov. 18, he wrote that he awoke to find his sled completely buried from an all-night blasting of wind and snow. That day he battled a 30 mph headwind for eight hours as he trudged along.

"There were several times I considered stopping, putting my tent back up and calling it a day," he wrote. "I wanted so badly to quit today as I was feeling exhausted and alone, but remembering all of the positivity that so many people have been sending, I took a deep breath and focused on maintaining forward progress one step at a time and managed to finish a full day."

On Day 37, or Dec. 9, O'Brady wrote about how much he's changed, along with a selfie in which he looks almost in pain, snow gathered around his furry hat.

"I'm no longer the same person I was when I left on the journey, can you see it in my face?" he wrote. "I've suffered, been deathly afraid, cold and alone. I've laughed and danced, cried tears of joy and been awestruck with love and inspiration."

Though O'Brady had initially thought he'd want a cheeseburger at the end of his nearly impossible journey, Besaw said her husband has been fantasizing about fresh fish and salad because he has mostly been eating freeze-dried foods.

As for what's next for O'Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she's not entirely sure.

"We are just so in the moment celebrating this right now," she said. "Then we'll see what's next on the horizon."

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
After a 53-day trek, American professional endurance athlete Colin O'Brady allegedly becomes the first person to cross Antarctica alone and unaided; his claim of being unaided has been disputed, and the first person to really cross Antarctica alone and unaided was Børge Ousland in 1996 and 1997.