Welsh school inspires Richard Parks’ journey to South Pole with Will Smith
When former Welsh rugby star turned global adventurer Richard Parks joined Hollywood superstar Will Smith for a spectacular journey to the South Pole – he had a very special item from a Welsh primary school to inspire him.
Parks, the ex-Wales international and Dragons player, who after retiring became an extreme sports athlete and TV presenter, joined the movie icon as part of the National Geographic series Pole To Pole with Will Smith which starts this month.
Five years in the making, the seven-part docuseries which premieres January 14 on National Geographic in the UK and Disney+, follows Will Smith across all seven continents, taking him from the icefields of Antarctica to the jungles of the Amazon, the mountains of the Himalayas, the deserts of Africa, the islands of the Pacific and the icebergs of the Arctic.
The US star was joined by the Welsh adventurer for an epic trek to the South Pole – and throughout the journey the Welshman was carrying an item from a primary school in Cardiff, which has a special place in Parks’ heart.
Writing on Instagram he said: “Many of my expeditions start in a primary school classroom in Cardiff docks.
“The children at Mount Stuart Primary School are given the mission to paint my flasks before I leave. We spend time together exploring the where, the how, and importantly the *why* of the expedition. Then they’re given autonomy to unleash their creativity – their names, their flags, their wild ideas of what “adventure” looks like.
“This latest flask says BELIEVE and it travelled all the way to the South Pole, all the while (along with my son’s initials on my jacket) connecting me to the bigger purpose – equipping and inspiring the next generation to do and be better than us.
“My Guinness World Record as the first person of colour to ski solo to the South Pole now lives at the school.
“To stand next to Will, holding something made by brilliant children from an often overlooked community thousands of miles away, was pretty special. None of us get to these places alone – we’re carried by families, teachers, friends, communities.
“From a painted flask in a Welsh classroom to Pole to Pole with @willsmith on @natgeo and @disneyplus… diolch pawb. ❤️”
See pics of Richard working with the pupils at Mount Stuart Primary to create his special flask in the Instagram post below…
Inspired to explore life’s big questions, the series see Will throw himself into incredible challenges for 100 days: skiing to the South Pole, catching a giant anaconda, milking a venomous tarantula, climbing mountains, and diving under the ice of the North Pole. He will venture from pole to pole in the company of scientists, explorers and local experts.
Told with a cinematic scale, access, and authenticity, this once-in-a-lifetime adventure blends cutting-edge science, environmental storytelling, and bold exploration. Guided by experts, scientists and explorers, Will helps make world-first scientific discoveries and forges profound human connections — from the Amazon’s Waorani community to the Kalahari’s San people,whose knowledge and resilience offer powerful lessons about our future on the planet.
“This journey was unlike anything I’ve ever done — at times I feared I might not make it home! It’s an exploration not just of the planet’s edges, but of some of the most extraordinary people living there,” said Smith. “From the coldest ice to the deepest jungles, the beauty of our world inspired my every step with awe and hope.”
Parks revealed how he had kept the programme secret for some time and teased the identity of the star who he accompanied to one of the most inhospitable places on Earth.
He finally revealed to his followers on Instagram that the big name was Will Smith, with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air star describing Parks and he as ‘explorer brothers’.
And it sounds like Parks played an extraordinary part in their trek, pushing the actor and musician to new heights while forging a close friendship with the movie star.
“Will heads to the South Pole, where temperatures can drop below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit,” reads the description of the episode. “He skis and treks across giant icefields, and, faced with a giant cliff of ice in bone-chilling winds, struggles to climb to the top. Only with the support of one of the world’s best polar athletes, Richard Parks, does he succeed.”
In a subsequent Instagram, Parks elaborated on his epic adventure with Will Smith.
He wrote: ‘Try explaining this one to your school careers adviser…
‘I’m a mixed-heritage kid from Pontypridd who grew up watching Fresh Prince. I studied dentistry, played international rugby for Wales, then saw that dream end with injury and a slide into a very dark place. With the help of people who believed in the impossible, I rebuilt – became a Guinness World Record holder – and spent the next decade and a half using adventure projects to try and make the world a little bit better.
‘Fast-forward to now: I end up guiding @WillSmith across Antarctica for a new National Geographic series… and last week I was in LA with Will and the Nat Geo team talking about it. Pinch me!
‘Pole to Pole with Will Smith follows Will from one end of the planet to the other, exploring humanity, our world, and how it all fits together. My small part in this huge adventure was helping him realise a dream of reaching the South Pole – sharing the cold, the fear, the vulnerability, the laughter, the awe, and the quiet moments that never make the brochure.
‘Will is everything you’d hope for in a global icon and master of his craft: curious, generous, courageous, hard-working and all-in on telling stories that matter. To stand beside him at the bottom of the world, then see our journey on screen with @natgeo and @disneyplus, is beyond anything I ever dreamed of.
‘For most of us, Antarctica is beyond imagination. I’m proud to be a small part of a project that helps us see ourselves in our planet – and understand how we all fit into its story. I can’t wait for you to experience Antarctica through Will’s lens!’
Episodes include the following:
“The South Pole” premieres on National Geographic in the UK January 14 at 8pm and the same day on Disney+
Will heads to the South Pole, where temperatures can drop below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. He skis and treks across giant icefields, and, faced with a giant cliff of ice in bone-chilling winds, struggles to climb to the top. Only with the support of one of the world’s best polar athletes, Richard Parks, does he succeed. In one of the planet’s most isolated research stations, scientists take ice cores deep under the surface and make incredible sacrifices to pursue their research.
“The Amazon: Deadly Creatures” premieres on National Geographic in the UK January 14 at 9pm and the same day on Disney+
Will, a man scared of spiders his whole life, ventures deep into the Ecuadorian Amazon on an expedition in search of deadly creatures. Joined by professor Bryan Fry and local mountaineer Carla Perez, they abseil 200 feet into a cave network known as the “womb of the Earth,” where they discover a giant tarantula. Using cutting-edge techniques, they extract its venom, which could hold the key to saving millions of lives.
“The Amazon: Dark Waters” premieres on National Geographic in the UK January 21 at 8pm and January 14 on Disney+
Will, Bryan and Carla join local Waorani elder Penti Baihua in the Amazon, in search of the world’s biggest snake: the giant green anaconda. They carefully remove just one scale from the 17-foot snake’s skin. Will’s fear turns into relief, then joy. The single scale can reveal the health of the entire ecosystem — crucial for the future of both wildlife and the Waorani.
“The Himalayas” premieres on National Geographic in the UK January 28 at 8pm and January 14 on Disney+
Will travels to the kingdom of Bhutan on a deeply intimate journey in search of the secret to happiness. Guided by happiness expert professor Dacher Keltner and local writer Tshering Denkar, Will treks to one of the highest and happiest villages in the Himalayas, at 13,000-foot altitude. While there, he confronts some of the most challenging moments of his extraordinary life and career.
“The Pacific Islands” premieres on National Geographic in the UK February 4 at 8pm and January 14 on Disney+
Joined by linguist Dr. Mary Walworth and local marine ecologist John Aini, Will travels to the South Pacific on an expedition to a remote island threatened by rising seas. What begins as an exploration into an incredible marine paradise transforms into a truly revelatory journey for Will about his own history as they record a lost language spoken by only five people.
“The Kalahari Desert” premieres on National Geographic in the UK February 11 at 8pm and January 14 on Disney+
Will travels deep into the Kalahari Desert to meet the San people, one of the oldest hunter-gatherer groups on Earth. To discover the secret to their enduring success, he must join them on a hunt in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Led by local San bushman guide Kane Motswana, it’s not long before he realises he’s entirely unsuited to this adventure.
“The North Pole” premieres on National Geographic in the UK February 18 at 8pm and January 14 on Disney+
The final leg of Will’s 100-day adventure is his most dangerous mission yet: an expedition to dive under the ice at the North Pole to help polar ecologist Allison Fong capture world-first scientific samples. But when a snowstorm and mechanical failure put the mission in crisis, Will learns what it takes to be a hero in real life.
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