Motivational SpeakersCathy O’Dowd is the first woman to climb Mount Everest from both the north and south sides, inspiring audiences with powerful talks on resilience and leadership.
The years Cathy spent on or around Everest were for her a degree in ‘living’.
The insights she discovered about herself, individuals and teams under intense stress in the face of overwhelming challenges, are ones she has been sharing with audiences ever since.
Cathy O’Dowd grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa and has climbed since leaving school.
She was completing her Master’s degree in Media Studies at Rhodes University and working as a university lecturer when she saw an advert in a newspaper for a place on the 1st South African Everest Expedition.
Cathy O’Dowd was one of 200 women who applied for the Everest place and was the one finally selected.
The team followed Edmund Hillary’s famous route. Despite being the team’s apprentice, Cathy O’Dowd reached the summit on 25 May 1996. However, it was a harsh introduction, as British teammate Bruce Herrod lost his life on the descent.
In 1998, she took on the challenge of the treacherous north side of Everest, where George Mallory famously disappeared in 1924. Her attempt ended just hours below the summit when she stopped to save a dying American woman.
In 1999, she returned again and succeeded, becoming the first woman to climb Everest from both the north and south sides.
Cathy O’Dowd has written two books about her Everest experiences, Everest: Free to Decide, co-written with Ian Woodall, and Just for the Love of it.
In 2000, she became the fourth woman to climb Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain.
Cathy O’Dowd Motivational Speaker:
As an adventurer motivational speaker, Cathy O’Dowd weaves together the real adventure of the climb and the metaphorical challenge of reaching for the peak of achievement, sharing her stories of challenge, adventure, passion for life and the reality of death.
Her inspirational keynotes focus on:
- Self-Motivation
- Risk Assessment
- Team Dynamics
- Leadership
- Overcoming Challenges
A bilingual speaker, Cathy O’Dowd, can present her speech in English or Spanish.
