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Cathy Benson | The Roanoke Times

James Bray at home in Daleville wears his red goose down parka and displays his IAE 2008 patch for "Leadership on the Edge."

"I expect to come back from this a changed man and I hope I can inspire others from this experience," said James Bray, 40, of Daleville as he embarked on the adventure of a lifetime to Antarctica.

He is a member of an extraordinary group selected for "Leadership on the Edge." An ensemble of 70 participants from around the world and all walks of life, it is called "IAE 6" which is short for Inspire Antarctica Expedition No. 6.

On March 11, Bray left the comfort of his Ashley Plantation home and flew to South America, ending up in the southernmost city in the world: Ushuaia, Argentina. From there Bray would take a strengthened vessel through some of the roughest seas on earth and sail 600 miles south through the Drake Passage.

Some 48 to 60 hours later, depending on the weather conditions during the crossing, Bray planned to step on St. George's Island. His first visit would be the E-Base, or Education Base -- the starting point for the IAE 6 in Antarctica.

How did he get to this point? Five months ago in his office at Akzo Nobel Coatings on Roanoke Avenue S.W. in Roanoke, where he's the manager, Bray learned he would be going on what he termed "a life changing experience." For more than two years the company had negotiated to send 12 of its top managers to participate in the IAE 6. British explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan, the first man to walk to both the north and south poles unassisted, is the leader of the program.

Swan's dream is to promote E-Base to educate the world's children about Antarctica via the Internet as well as teach leadership and use renewable energy on the expeditions.

In 1991, Antarctica was set off in a treaty signed in Madrid, Spain, to keep mining and drilling off the continent for 50 years until 2041. Thus 2041.com has become one of the Web site names for Swan's team and for their environmental activities.

Bray and his wife Kimberely were excited about the trip. "They haven't lost anyone yet," Kimberely Bray said calmly of the expeditions and her husband's departure.

Daughters Rachel, 9, and Olivia, 6, are both students at Troutville Elementary School. Rachel said, "I think that Dad going to Antarctica with Robert Swan for 'Leadership on the Edge' will be fantastic. I just hope he doesn't get too cold."

A standard for the expedition says, "Independent thought makes better, more effective people managers." By dealing with the harsh climate, the managers learn to see the world differently and thus inspire with leadership and act as ambassadors for sustainable energy.

"Antarctica is the windiest, coldest, driest place on earth," said Bray. Nominated by Doug Gilliam, the manager of the United States region for Akzo Nobel, Bray said it still seemed a dream even prior to departure. He planned to spend 12 days in Antarctica with IEA 6.

"It's all about sustainability," Bray noted. Akzo Nobel is ranked No. 1 on the Dow Jones industrials for sustainability (using renewable and energy savings) and it wants to stay on top, Bray said.

Bray has a business case he must complete in the Antarctic, and he has chosen to reduce the carbon footprint humans leave behind to curtail greenhouse gas emissions.

He received a four-page list of materials he had to take with him. He studied the project and the climate, where summer is slipping into fall. His preparations included watching "March of the Penguins." In Antarctica on March 10, it was a balmy 32 degrees with high winds, and daylight lasted 20 hours.

The bright red parka issued for all expedition members weighs about 15 pounds. The fur around the hood is thick coyote. The deep funnel hood helps warm the breath. He has three pairs of Oakley irradiated wraparound sunglasses that he must wear (one at a time, of course) to keep from burning his eyes. The hole in the ozone over Antarctica and the glare from the ice burns human eyes. He must wear 50 SPF sunscreen at all times.

He also packed a pair of swim trunks. Though surrounded by frigid waters, underwater volcanic action near King George's Island heats the water in that area. He plans to enjoy a swim. "If I am there, I say jump in!"

Bray took prescription medications for seasickness in case the trip across the Drake Passage is rough. "In a way, I hope it isn't smooth sailing. I want to travel on a rough sea."

He will dress in many layers including sherpa pants. The nights IAE 6 camps on a glacier in two-man tents he will wear 40 layers. All undergarments wick moisture away from the skin in order to prevent frostbite.

He carried one item not on the list. "I am an avid golfer, and Ashley Plantation Club is sponsoring me in an experiment." They gave him a graphite driver to hit the ball. "Because the air is so dry and the wind will hopefully be at my back, I plan to send the ball soaring."

The day before departure, Bray held a PowerPoint and webcast conference with Robert Swan. Class representatives from the third through fifth grades at Troutville Elementary School, family, co-workers and friends attended the meeting at the Roanoke Center for Higher Education.

The PowerPoint integrated with webcasts from E-Base at Bellinghausen, on King George Island where Swan and his team had been for the past eight days. They survived in hurricane-strength winds with neither heat nor electricity but installed wind turbines and solar panels for electricity and heat when the storm ended.