“All women can do,” says the first Latin American black woman to reach Mount Everest. Campinas and Regions

Step-by-step and step-by-step, Aretha Duarte rose to the top of the world.

On 23rd, Mountaineer of Campinas completed the summit of Mount Everest and became The first Latin American black woman to achieve achievement.

On the way, Aretha talked give And when he was 7,7 meters above sea level, he tried to translate into words what he felt on the highest point of the highest mountain on earth.

– It is difficult to specify, because the feeling is strong. But I thought about my achievement and how much it can inspire people. So that they can understand what power they have. And if they can think, imagine, dream, if it all means a lot to them, they will be able to do it. I believe this only. They need to take the next step – they started.

But let’s start from the beginning. The first “next step” taken by the climber started right there, Still in March 2020, When he decided Collecting recyclable waste from the streets to help realize the dream.

In a year, Aretha Managed to collect 130 tons And was able to begin the journey by landing at the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, in early April.

Five days later, the athlete left for Lukla from Kathmandu. Got off in the morning and Started walking on footpath towards Campo Base, Where it came on April 16.

there, Went through three optimization cycles, With progressive ascent in the highest regions. Last started in early may, Two weeks ago, finally, Start climbing to the top.

In other words, the success of the campaign came after much preparation and many steps, something that she also does as advice for those who dream of doing so.

On the mountain, you don’t go straight up. You go step by step. On Everest, you arrive at the base camp and keep climbing until you reach the summit. Black women, in particular, need to know this. They need to focus not just on the big dream, but on the next step, and then on the next step, and on the next, with stability and regularity until they reach the big goal. All women can do.

– Aretha Duarte

Before reaching the summit of Everest, Aretha Duarte went through challenging moments, such as when he Suffering from cough and chest pain during the second cycle of pulmonary edema and adaptation,

A more delicate situation was the day of climbing the summit. Even though he said he never thought of giving up, Aretha admitted that she could not succeed when the guide called Sherpa, Who led his group, showed much disarray. Also, “the climatic conditions were terrible”, according to him.

The guide said he needed to go back. Feeling good, the climber asked if she could climb until she found another one Sherpa, Which inspired him to move forward.

– At that moment, he took three steps, this huge regret hit me. Then, I call him: “I want to talk to you”. I picked up my visor, took off my oxygen mask, which was in my mouth, left my face free and, already in tears, weeping, I told him: “I really want to go up, but if I need your finger You have to use, your leg, if you have to be sick, it is not worth me. ”And I cried, cried, believing that we would go down there and my ascent would end there.

– Then, when I told him, it seems that there has been a human connection between the person wanting to go up and the person who is working very hard, it is very difficult to keep warm. He looked at me, wiped my tears with his hand, put my visor on my eye, my oxygen mask on my mouth.

– And there was a two-hour climb, we had already left Camp Four two hours earlier. At that moment he did not say anything. He put my mask, tool on my face and turned towards the summit of Everest. The walk continued, and from then on, we said very little on the top of the mountain. Like a miracle, he stopped feeling that unbearable cold that I really saw that he was feeling before. And we moved forward, connected, focused, determined and wanted so much to get to the top of the mountain – he recalls.

Aretha Duarte with Pasang Gelgen, their guide on the day of Everest’s summit attack – Photo: Gabriel Tarso

With an accomplishment in her baggage, Aretha began her journey back to Brazil and Currently back in kathmandu. By the time she gets home, she starts planning new goals in advance, but first, away from the mountains.

Campinira wants to go ahead with the construction of her home to provide “little comfort for the mother” and to run social and environmental projects, such as a campaign to collect metal remains Construction of Perimeter climbing training center.

– Maybe we are lucky that we got talent that can represent us in the Olympics? However, the most important thing is to help give a respectable and just life, so that people understand the potential for development. And a climbing center can help with that. From the point of view of the mountain, I have not thought of anything yet. I am still digesting this entire Everest project – that is over.

Before climbing Everest, the climber had already climbed Mount Aconcagua five times, in Argentina, the highest in the US, at an altitude of about 7 thousand meters, and as a guide of expeditions to Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Africa and Russia I was also

Recall the entire trajectory of Aretha Duarte until reaching the summit of Mount Everest: