First North American Woman to Climb Everest
On May 20, 1986, at 9:00 pm, Sharon Wood became the first North American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, and just the sixth woman worldwide to achieve this incredible feat.
As a teenager, her intolerance of complacency and her appetite for adventure led her to learn rock climbing. Its physical and mental demands helped her to discover new personal strengths. Concepts such as commitment, adaptability and trust took on new meanings.
Sharon has lived in the Canadian Rockies for nearly twenty years, has worked as a mountain climbing and helicopter ski guide. She climbed Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada and has conquered numerous other summits exceeding 20,000 feet around the world.
Sharon Wood teaches, entertains and inspires with her personal story about reaching the top of Mount Everest. It is a story about a small team that chose a bold vision to climb the highest mountain in the world: by a more difficult route, with fewer physical and financial resources, and in better style.
Sharon effectively conveys both the individual and the team perspective. She emphasizes the importance of striving to realize her own personal aspirations. As well, she talks of her role as a member of a team committed to levering every component of their strategy to realize their vision. Sharon’s style is personal and moving. Through powerful anecdotes and vivid analogies, she conveys the critical elements of her team’s success.
Stunning 35mm slides and video taken live from the highest mountain in the world support her presentations. Each presentation is custom-designed to focus on the challenges and themes of her audience.