A Woman of Courage

To climb a mountain, the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest, is a challenge beyond my comprehension. Yet Lhakpa Sherpa, a poor, uneducated woman from Nepal, climbed to the top of Mt. Everest ten times. No other woman has ever accomplished this feat. In 2022, her last climb, at age 48, was celebrated by family and fellow Nepalese along with journalists and many admirers. She is an inspiration to Nepalese women and women around the world.

Lhakpa worked doing dishes and cleaning houses to earn money for the equipment to make the climb as well as to raise her two children. She walked a lot but did not have any training in climbing mountains.  She overcame an abusive husband and other setbacks, but she achieved her dream.

 “Never give up,” she writes on her website. “Keep going and follow your dreams no matter what. We make our own world. Don’t try to do everything but do what you love. And someday you might climb your Everest.”

That’s great advice: “Do what you love.” Mountain climbing was her passion. We all have some dream to bring us happiness.  It might be painting, racing, writing, flying, or playing the piano.  It could also be following in the footsteps of Jesus in the Holy Land or becoming a missionary. But whatever it is, it takes practice and resilience to accomplish.  Many of us get sidetracked or discouraged and never attain “our Everest.”

We need role models like Lhakpa Sherpa who inspire and encourage others to overcome obstacles like poverty and lack of education to achieve their dream. So, start writing that novel or becoming a pilot. Do what brings you joy!

 

Barbara Mayer, OSB