ANOC Marketing Commission member Sheikha Asma Al-Thani summits K2 breaking yet more records
ANOC Marketing Commission member and Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Director of Marketing and Communications, Sheikha Asma Al-Thani, has set another mountaineering record as she has summited K2 on her boundary-breaking journey to completing the Explorer’s Grand Slam.
The Explorer’s Grand Slam involves summiting the world’s Seven Summits and reaching the North and South Pole. By undertaking this ground-breaking challenge and sharing her journey, Sheikha Asma aims to inspire others while championing women’s empowerment and building bridges between communities as part of her “Beyond Boundaries” initiative.
Having become the first Qatari to ski the North Pole, and first Qatari woman to reach the South Pole, in addition to climbing six of the world’s Seven Summits, Sheikha Asma is now only one mountain away (Puncak Jaya) from realising the Explorer’s Grand Slam. She is the first Arab woman to have reached this stage. She is also aiming to summit all of the world’s 14 eight-thousanders in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges.
“Beyond Boundaries is more than just climbing mountains. It’s about inspiring others and showing how the impossible is possible if you move forward with conviction and passion. I hope that women and young people across the Middle East and beyond will see how dreams can be achieved through hard work and determination,” said Sheikha Asma Al Thani.
Sheikha Asma has broken a number of records including becoming the only Arab to have climbed six of the world’s 8000m peaks, as well as the first Arab to have climbed Kanchenjunga and Dhaulagiri. Sheikha Asma is also the first Arab to summit three 8,000m peaks within one month, and the first woman in the world to climb the true summit of Manaslu without oxygen.
Meanwhile, Sheikha Asma is also the first Qatari woman to have summitted the following mountains: Everest, Lhotse, K2, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and Kanchenjunga. In a series of firsts, she also carried the official match ball of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, Al Rihla, on her ascent, marking the first time a World Cup match ball has reached the summit of Everest.
Sheikha Asma is also partnered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) as a high-profile supporter, and she is using her journey to raise awareness of the plight of refugees and forcibly displaced people globally. This season, she has raised the UNHCR flag atop some of the world’s highest mountains for the first time in history, including: Everest, Lhotse, Kanchenjunga, Vinson and K2.
Sheikha Asma Al Thani said:
“I am truly honoured to have my name in the history books, but I am climbing for something so much bigger than me, I am climbing for the tens of millions of refugees and forcibly displaced people around the world. The challenges they face are far greater than my own, but I hope that by raising the UNHCR flag on top of mountains I can help raise awareness and advocate for the rights of those forced to flee due to conflict and persecution.
“I would also like to thank the incredible team behind me and Elite Exped, particularly Nims Dai, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa and all the Elite Exped guides for making this journey possible. I couldn’t have done this without their support and guidance every step of the way.”
