When we caught up with British Polar Medal recipient Agnieszka Fryckowska, she had just stepped off the plane after her 20th season working in Antarctica for British Antarctic Survey and latterly White Desert adventure company. An Otago science graduate, Agnieszka talks about the challenges of being a runway manager on the ice, her experiences as a station leader wintering over with her team, and receiving the Polar Medal from the Queen. Grounded during the pandemic, Agnieszka also helped run first-class lounges in hospitals as a haven for NHS staff.