In 1914, a London newspaper published a mystery that still sparks imagination today. The advertisement offered a perilous journey, a tiny salary, extreme cold, months of total darkness, constant danger, and a stark warning: survival was not guaranteed. The appeal, signed by Ernest Shackleton, one of the era’s most famed explorers, promised a grand dream: the Imperial Transantarctic Expedition, a mission to traverse Antarctica. Thousands queued for a chance at the two ships that would carry the crew. More than five thousand men sent in applications. After a long process of interviews, 27 scouts were chosen. Their plan? Travel from London to Buenos Aires, then to the South Georgia Islands, cross to the Weddell Sea, and march across the icy continent on foot. It sounded like a once-in-a-lifetime holiday—just at eighty degrees below zero. As a saying once echoed in a family tale: this is desire on a grand scale.
By early 1915, in the frozen Weddell Sea, Shackleton’s ship Endurance became trapped in the ice. The crew held on for months, hoping the ice would release them as the seasons changed. Yet the ice moved relentlessly, tearing the ship apart until it sank. The catastrophe left 28 men stranded on a thick field of ice. It was a dream turned to survival ordeal. Shackleton stepped forward as leader, pressing every option to keep the expedition alive. He chose to leave 22 of his companions on Elephant Island, built a vessel in spirit and readiness, and, with five trusted crew members, embarked on an extraordinary voyage—more than a thousand kilometers—across unknown waters toward help. He understood that rescue was unlikely to come easily. After a rough voyage, he reached South Georgia Island and immediately organized a rescue plan for his comrades. With assistance from the Chilean government, 22 sailors from Elephant Island were saved by a whaler four months later. All returned home alive. It felt like a modern-day miracle.
Shackleton’s story, and the way he steered through disaster, remains a powerful example of leadership under the most extreme conditions. The captain’s success rested on clear command, fostered teamwork, trust in his crew, a hopeful mindset, and a spirit of selflessness that guided every campaign. Despite the harshness, he never abandoned his team and kept hope alive. That spirit resonates with the aim of leadership at HLA Alicante. The club’s new season began with Rafa Monclova at the helm and a squad of players who embody what is called the “Lucentum character.” The Sevilla coach will manage perhaps the toughest LEB Gold in the last decade, confronting giants like Burgos, Andorra, and Estudiantes. Shackleton’s metaphorical boat will need tenacity and endurance to reach a safe harbor and avoid sinking in the chilly waters that haunted last season. The league kicks off this weekend, and Lucentum travels to Torrelavega to face the recently promoted Grupo Alega Cantabria CBT. Pre-season weeks are over. The journey begins in earnest. And as the tribute to the Antarctic hero reminds us, the journey is everything. Welcome back to LEB Gold.