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. “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. “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. “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. "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 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. "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 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. "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. 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. “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. “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. "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.
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.