“All women can” say, from Latin America to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Campinas and the region

At 23, the mountaineer from Campinas completed the journey to the summit of Mount Everest and became a The first black woman from Latin America to achieve this feat.

On the way back, she spoke to Aretha Give He tried to translate into words what he felt when he was 8,848 meters above sea level, at the highest point on the highest mountain on earth.

Difficult to define, because emotion is strong. But I thought about my achievement and how much it could inspire people. So that they understand the power they have. If they can think, imagine, dream, and if it all makes sense to them, then they will be able to do so. This is what I believe in. What they need is to take the next step – it has started.

But let’s start from the beginning. The first “next step” taken by the mountaineer began again there, Still in March 2020, When I decided Collect recyclable trash from the streets to help make the dream come true.

In one year, Aretha I managed to collect 130 tons I was able to start the trip in early April and land in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu.

Five days later, the athlete left Kathmandu for Lukla. Landed in the morning and The walk started on the road to Campo BaseAnd the She arrived on April 16.

over there, She went through three acclimatization cycles, With a gradual rise to the top of the fields. The last one started at the beginning of MayTwo weeks ago, at last, Start climbing to the top.

In other words, the campaign’s success came after much preparation and many steps, something that she even uses as advice for those who dream the same.

Before reaching the summit of Everest, Aretha Duarte had challenging moments, like when he had it Pulmonary edema and suffered from coughing and chest pain during the second course of acclimatization,

There was another, more sensitive situation on the day of the ascent. Although he said he had never considered giving up, Aretha admitted that he might not succeed when the mentor called him. A drink, Who led his group showed a lot of wear. Plus, “the weather was horrific.”According to her.

The guide said he needed to return. Satisfied, the mountaineer asked her if she could climb a stretch until she found another one A drinkWhich pushed him forward.

At that moment, in his three steps, I had such great regret. Then again, invite him: “I want to talk to you.” I raised my eyebrows, lowered the oxygen mask, which was in my mouth, left my face free, and really cried, and said to him, “I really want to go up, but if I have to use your finger, your foot, if you have to get sick, it’s not worth it for me.” . And I cried, crying, assuming we’re going down there and my climb ends there.

– Then, when I told him, it was as if there was a human connection between the person who wanted to go up and the very difficult person, who worked, it was very difficult to keep warm. He looked at me, wiped my tears with his hand, put my mask on my eyes, and an oxygen mask on my mouth.

There were two hours of boarding there, and we had already left Fourth Camp two hours ago. At that moment he said nothing. Fixed my mask, equipment to my face and turned to the summit of Everest. The walk kept going, and since then we’ve said very little for the top of the mountain. Like a miracle, he stops feeling the unbearable coldness that I’ve truly seen he had before. And we went ahead, connected, focused, resolute and desperately wanting to get to the top of the mountain – he remembers.

With the achievement in his bags, Aretha began the journey back to Brazil and Currently meeting again to Kathmandu. Until you get home, you really start planning new goals, but at first, away from the mountains.

Campinera wants to go ahead with building her home in order to provide “a little comfort for the mother” and also to run social and environmental projects, such as the campaign to collect metal scraps for Construction of a limb climbing training center.

Maybe we are lucky to find a talent that can represent us in the Olympics? However, the most important thing is to help give a decent and fair life, so that people understand the power to develop. And the climbing center can help with that. From a mountain point of view, I haven’t thought of anything yet. I still grasped the entire Everest project – it’s over.

Before climbing Everest, the mountaineer had already climbed Mount Aconcagua five times, in Argentina, the highest in the Americas, at an altitude of nearly 7,000 meters, and had also been in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Africa and Russia as a guide for expeditions.

Remember the full path of Aretha Duarte to the summit of Mount Everest: