At an Advanced Boardroom Program for Women (ABP-W) event, Saint Paul welcomed Aretha Duarte.
Led by the host and Director of ABP-W, Chris Aché, the chat was attended by students who were able to learn about Aretha's inspiring story and interact with the mountaineer.
Aretha’s history with sports begins in a peripheral neighborhood of Campinas, where she was born: “I was a great defender, soccer was the sport of the outskirts,” says the environmental activist.
Although she has shown an interest in sports since she was a child, Aretha points out that, to this day, mountaineering and other lesser-known sports do not reach the outskirts.
Her greatest desire and mission is precisely to present cameroon whatsapp data opportunities for young people and children who need the most support: “My purpose is to generate socio-environmental transformation. I want people in my community to have opportunities. I want young people to have choices and a good life expectancy. I want to ensure that a climbing wall, philosophy, arts, robotics and other things reach the outskirts. If opportunities reach here, the whole society benefits.”
With a degree in Physical Education, her passion for mountaineering began in 2005, when she began working as a professional climbing guide, and her awakening to Everest in 2019, when she saw a photo of a colleague on the 8,848-meter mountain: “At that moment I felt an emotion and the desire to climb Everest”.
Despite her strong desire and years of mountaineering experience, Aretha had the great challenge of raising R$400,000 to finance the journey.
The social entrepreneur, who had been collecting cans on the streets as a child, went back to collecting cans to get the money she needed to climb.
In addition to her own work, Aretha got the entire community involved in the recycling process. 500 kg of cans were collected. This amount represented 35% of the amount needed for the journey to Everest.
Despite working from Sunday to Sunday, Aretha realized that this strategy alone would not be enough to reach her goal. So she sought out other resources.
She participated in the Caldeirão do Huck segment The Wall to make up for the money she still needed and, with the repercussion her project had, she also managed to get sponsorship from Moove Brasil.
When asked by one of her students about other people's negative thoughts about her dream, Aretha said that some of them thought it was impossible to make it come true, but she replied: “It's not someone else who's going to tell me what's possible or impossible to achieve.”
When asked about representation, she emphasizes that the fact that a black woman climbed Everest is very significant for other women to be able to climb their own Everest.
The chat brought many reflections to the students present, who showed their emotions in praise and admiration for the mountaineer:
“Aretha, what strength, what an example!”
“Your determination is very inspiring! Congratulations Aretha!”
“Aretha, I am moved!!! What a privilege to start the day listening to your story!!!”
“Congratulations Aretha, for the beautiful example!!! Many young people do not have the goal of climbing Everest, but of getting their first job, of making their dreams come true, and without experience and without conditions, they face many difficulties, fears and people discouraging them. This first job is their Everest and you are proof that they should not give up, not lower their heads, not listen to those who are not encouraging them, but stay focused and pursue their dream!!! Congratulations!!!”
“Your emotion overflows in all of us.”
“Aretha, thank you very much! May we have this overwhelming strength to climb our Everest! Your speech is transformative.”