First American Women Summits K2
Interview with Vanessa O’Brien, First American Woman to Climb K2
Vanessa O'Brien is a British and American mountaineer, explorer, aquanaut, author and former business executive. In June 2020, Vanessa became the first woman to reach Earth's highest and lowest points, receiving a Guinness World Record. Vanessa became the first American woman to climb K2 and the first British woman to climb K2 in July 2017. Vanessa is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and a Member of The Scientific Exploration Society (SES). Vanessa climbed the highest peak on every continent, receiving a Guinness World Record setting a record for the fastest time a woman first achieved this goal (295 days). Vanessa skied the last 111 km to the South and North Poles completing the Explorers Grand Slam in 11 months, becoming the first woman to do so in under a year and the 8th woman in the world.
Interview with Vanessa O’Brien, First American Woman to Climb K2
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Check out Vanessa O'Brien’s interview with Forbes magazine. Vanessa recalls her experience climbing Mount K2 and says,… Posted by U.S. Embassy Pakistan on Monday, August 14, 2017
Vanessa O’Brien is First American Woman to Climb K2
First American Woman Vanessa O’Brien Summits K2
First American Woman Vanessa O’Brien Summits K2
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First American Woman Summits K2
Vanessa O’Brien becomes the first American woman to summit K2
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The Mountain Climber
Vanessa O’Brien is a British mountaineer and an American mountaineer (as a result of her dual nationality), explorer, aquanaut, astronaut, author, and public speaker.
Vanessa has an incredible six Guinness World Records: First x 2, Fastest, Deepest, Farthest and Oldest. Vanessa is the first woman to reach extremes on land, sea, and air (the Explorers' Extreme Trifecta) following her mission on Blue Origin's NS-22 to 107km. Vanessa was the first woman to reach earth’s highest (Mt. Everest 8,848m) and lowest points (Challenger Deep 10,925m), the fastest woman to climb the seven summits in 295 days, and the first person to reach nearest to and farthest from the earth's core (Challenger Deep and the summit of Chimborazo.) Vanessa is the first woman to complete the Four Poles Challenge, going the farthest north * south * east * west from the top of Everest to the bottom of Challenger Deep to skiing the last degree to the geographic north and south poles. She holds the record for the oldest woman to summit K2, the second tallest peak, at 52 years old.
Vanessa became the first American or British woman to successfully summit K2, receiving Explorer of the Year by the Scientific Exploration Society (SES) in 2018. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an Honorary Advisory Board member of the SES.
Vanessa summitted the highest peak on every continent, receiving a Guinness World Record for the fastest time a woman first achieved this goal (295 days.) Vanessa has skied the last 111 km to the north and south poles completing the Explorers Grand Slam in 11 months, the first woman to do so in under a year, and the 8th woman in the world. Vanessa ran the Boston Marathon in 2017, helping to raise money for the American Red Cross, has been shot testing bulletproof vests with a .38 long revolver at point blank range, and rode 200 mph with Mario Andretti at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.