First Females - celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first female ascent of Mount Everest

In this episode, I speak to Jo Bradshaw, an Everest summiteer who survived the devastating earthquake on Everest in 2015. Once a height-averse, comfort-loving business advisor, Jo's first taste of adventure came with a parachute jump — a step that would eventually lead her to climb Mount Everest and complete the Seven Summits. Our paths crossed thanks to a mutual mission to honour and celebrat...

In this episode I speak to Polly Murray, the first Scottish woman to summit Mount Everest at the age of 26. Polly is a qualified ski instructor and has represented the UK in Nordic skiing and completed a ski traverse of Bylot island in northern Canada. Polly also holds the record for the First joint Telemark Ski decent of McKinley via rescue gully (Denali, in Alaska which is the highest peak in no...

In this episode, Saray Khumalo shares her journey to the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first Black African woman to reach the highest point on Earth.   Saray made four attempts on Everest before reaching the top in 2019, facing injury, survivor guilt and natural disaster along the way. Saray’s story goes well beyond the summit. It’s about persistence in the face of setbacks, broadening the...

Manal Rostom is the first Egyptian woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. She achieved this remarkable feat in 2022 at the age of 42. For Manal it was a 15 year journey from the initial idea to reaching the summit in which she had to navigate cultural barriers, family expectations and prejudice. Her story is one of perseverance, representation, and the courage to break boundaries - not onl...

Lucia Janicova is the first Slovakian woman to climb Everest. Lucia’s journey to the top of the world is one of resilience and courage both on and off the mountain. She shares how mountaineering became her escape and method of recovery from traumatic personal experiences (see content information below). From overcoming personal struggles to navigating the extreme conditions of high-altitude climbi...

In this episode, New Zealander Lydia Bradey shares her journey to the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first woman in the world to do so without supplemental oxygen. At just 27 years old, Lydia defied expectations and carved her place in mountaineering history, facing both physical challenges and intense scrutiny with courage and grace. Lydia is a mountaineer, an IFMGA International Mountain...

Hannah Shields is a mountaineer, endurance athlete, and the first Northern Irish woman to summit Mount Everest. Hannah shares her deeply personal journey - overcoming health struggles, finding inspiration through family, and initiating a rescue in the death zone on Everest. We discuss the mental resilience it takes to climb Everest, the importance of trust and teamwork in high-altitude expeditions...

Rebecca Stephens is the first British woman to climb Everest. In this episode of First Females , Rebecca shares her personal journey to the summit of Everest and we explore. Junko’s incredible determination, the challenges of high-altitude climbing, and the evolving landscape of mountaineering today. Rebecca Stephens is an acclaimed mountaineer, writer, and speaker. In 1993, she became the first B...