• Account
    • My List
    • Logout
  • Contact Us
  • About WEM
  • Login
  • Get Access
  • Submit Content
Menu
  • Account
    • My List
    • Logout
  • Contact Us
  • About WEM
  • Login
  • Get Access
  • Submit Content
Please Sign In or Create an account

Forgot Password

Get in the mindset of an explorer

1h 3m

What does it takes to have the mindset of an explorer?

‘If we succeed at every single thing we’ve ever tried, we haven’t tried anything particularly ambitious’.

Mountaineer, the first woman to have summited Everest from both sides, author and professional speaker Cathy O’Dowd is this week’s guest on WEMcast. WEM Education Lead Will Duffin chats to Cathy about her career and how she’s forged a successful career from adventure.

They start with the global obsession of Everest and the outsourcing of risk and skill as it becomes a commercial climb swamped with novice climbers and long queues. The reflect on Cathy’s first ascents in the 1990s, and how this decade, with its developments in technology and logistics, proved the turning point in drawing the media’s attention to the mountain.

Cathy reflects on her epic climbing attempts – the successes, setbacks and difficult decisions made (plus avalanches, broken bones and unchartered descents). The pair also discuss the artificial concept of ‘turn-back time’ and how mountaineers need to be much more dynamic with their risk assessments and decision making to ensure the safety of their summit attempts.

Cathy and Will also reflect on the hugely misleading idea of ‘never giving up’ and why giving up is in fact one of life’s greatest skills.

 

Connect with Cathy:

Cathy’s website > http://cathyodowd.com

Instagram > @cathyodowd

Cathy’s bio
Cathy O’Dowd is the first woman in the world to climb the world’s highest mountain from both its north and south sides. Her first ascent of Everest happened in the midst of the chaotic events that form the basis of the ‘true story’ behind the Hollywood movie ‘Everest’.

Cathy, who grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, has climbed ever since leaving school, both rock-climbing and alpinism. `Her first expeditions were to central Africa and the Andes, followed by a year exploring the Alps.

She was completing her Master’s degree in Journalism while working as a university lecturer when she saw a newspaper advert for a place on the 1st South African Everest Expedition. Six months later she became the first South African to summit Everest.

Three years on she became the first woman in the world to climb the mountain from both sides. She made one last expedition to Everest to try a new route on the Kangshung face. She has written a book about her Everest experiences, Just For The Love Of It.

Listen >
Watch >

 

Guests: Cathy O'Dowd, Dr Will Duffin
Genres / Categories: Podcasts
everest, Expeditions, Exploration, mountaineering

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

    about us

    WEM Academy is a new digital resource for extreme medical professionals. A one-stop-shop for topic-based teaching videos, interviews, conference talks and much much more.

    navigate

    • Help Centre
    • FAQs
    • Contact us
    Menu
    • Help Centre
    • FAQs
    • Contact us

    Address : 
    2nd Floor Thomas Whitty House, Silver Street, Axminster, EX135AH

    Phone : 01297 300503

    Website by MCS Support | Privacy and Cookie Policy | Sitemap
    © 2020 world extreme medicine limited trading as WEM Academy. All Rights Reserved.
    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non-necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.