04/27/2026
We heard him speak at the Northeast Iowa Eagle Luncheon this year. Truly inspiring!
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
Troy Henkels is an adventurer, mountaineer, polar explorer, and storyteller whose pursuit of challenge has taken him across some of the most remote and extreme environments on Earth. An Iowa native who now calls Denali Park, Alaska home, Troy has climbed extensively in the Alaska Rangeāincluding a successful summit of Denaliāand has taken part in expeditions throughout Antarctica, Iceland, the Himalaya, and South America. Troy earned his Eagle Scout award in 1982.
His polar work spans more than a decade, with time spent living at both McMurdo Station and the South Pole, multiple iceācap traverses, and historic moments such as becoming the first person to kiteāsurf in Antarctic waters and the only person to throw a boomerang āaround the worldā at both poles. Troy has also completed unique Alaskan endurance races, documented major expeditions as a cinematographer, and traveled from Alaska to the tip of South America by motorcycle.
He is a photographer, author, and Remote Communication Technician when not on expedition.