World record holding adventurers, Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely, will try to withstand snow, wind, ice and sub-zero temperatures during a daring attempt to run the 650 kilometre frozen length of Siberia's Lake Baikal in just ten days.

Beginning on 1 March 2010, Zahab and Vallely will run 60-70 kilometres per day.  Unassisted by skis or any support crew they will be pulling sleds carrying all of their food, clothing, shelter and survival equipment.

With Siberia still in the grips of winter, these Canadian adventurers are braving the ice of Baikal to raise awareness of the worldwide scarcity of clean water and inspire young people to push beyond their perceived limitations. The i2P expedition team will use the BGAN satellite communication device provided by Stratos Global to blog, post photographs, upload videos and stream live video conferencing into classrooms across North America, providing a unique learning experience to over of 8,000 students.  During the expedition, students will be able to see, speak to, and hear the pair in real-time, and learn about drinking water issues around the world.

The Siberian Express journey is the latest expedition for impossible2Possible, a non-profit organisation founded by Zahab that uses adventure as a platform to educate, inspire and empower young people. Lake Baikal contains about 20 per cent of the world's surface fresh water and is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume. It's been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and by running across the ice-covered surface of one of Earth's most treasured and fragile lakes, Zahab and Vallely hope to teach students about the history, chemistry, biology, culture and central role that safe drinking water has played in all cultures and civilisations.
In 2007, Zahab and two others ran for 111 consecutive days across the Sahara - a run of 7,500 kilometres that was turned into a Matt Damon-produced documentary titled Running The Sahara. The journey opened Zahab's eyes to the problems faced by those without access to clean drinking water. Having already run across the world's largest desert and, in January 2009, having made the fastest unsupported trek to the South Pole, crossing Lake Baikal seemed like a logical next step in his efforts to raise awareness for social and environmental issues around the world.

Beyond the classroom, Zahab and Vallely will use the impossible2Possible website to bring their message to people around the globe and raise money for clean drinking water projects.  Participating schools have been challenged to organise fundraisers and help complete two drinking water projects in Africa.

Zahab says: 'I truly believe that we as humans can do anything we set our minds to. That's what I want today's youth to believe. Through hard work and dedication anything is possible.'

To follow the expedition visit www.SiberianX.com.