Everest: although it has now been climbed by people from all over the globe, it is far too easy to dismiss its dangers and terrors. Cathy O'Dowd is the only woman ever to have climbed the peak from both south and north sides.
It was her combination of determination and her understanding of teamwork in the face of extreme adversity that took mountaineer, Cathy O'Dowd, to the summit of the world twice. Having succeeded from the south in 1996, despite facing the worst storm in Everest's history, Cathy took on the challenge of the treacherous north side in 1998. Her attempt ended when she stopped to try and save a dying climber.
In 1999, Cathy returned and on 29 May she was once more on the summit.
Cathy O'Dowd, who grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, has climbed ever since leaving school. In late 1995, she was completing a Masters degree in Media Studies when she saw an advert in a local newspaper for a place on the 1st South African Everest Expedition. She was one of 200 women who applied and was the only one finally selected.
Her presentations weave together the dramatic adventure of climbing Everest and the metaphorical challenge of reaching for the peak of achievement. Cathy draws on her extraordinary experiences and shares her story of challenge, adventure, and passion for life juxtaposed with the stark reality of death.
Her inspirational keynotes focus on self-motivation, team dynamics, risk-assessment and tackling seemingly overwhelming challenges one step at a time. Cathy is a superb storyteller and all presentations are illustrated throughout by spectacular images of the climbs.
Cathy O'Dowd is an author as well as a speaker and has written about her Everest experiences in the books, ‘Just for the Love of it (2000) and ‘Free to Decide’ (1997), In May 2000 she became the fourth woman in the world to climb Lhotse, the world's fourth highest mountain. A former university lecturer, Cathy is a natural performer, with a powerful and emotive speaking style.
