Silvia Vasquez-Lavado facts for kids
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado (born in 1974) is a Peruvian-American mountaineer, author, and social entrepreneur. She also works in technology. In June 2016, she became the first Peruvian woman to climb to the top of Mount Everest. She was also the first woman to openly complete the Seven Summits. These are the tallest mountains on each continent, according to both the Messner and Bass lists.
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Early Life and Education
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado was born and grew up in Lima, Peru. This was during a difficult time in Peru. Her mother encouraged her to leave Peru after Silvia shared some of her childhood struggles.
Vasquez-Lavado came to the United States with a special scholarship. She attended Millersville University. Today, she lives in San Francisco.
Mountain Climbing
In 2005, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado had a special experience that made her want to reconnect with her younger self. She imagined herself walking in a valley surrounded by mountains.
Soon after, Vasquez-Lavado decided to visit the base camp of Mount Everest in October 2005. After a four-day hike, she reached the base of Everest and climbed Kala Pattar. She later reached the very top of Everest in May 2016. By 2019, she became one of the few women in the world to have climbed the "Eight Summits". This means she climbed the Seven Summits from both the Bass and Messner lists.
Mountaineering Summits
- Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) in September 2006
- Mount Elbrus (Russia) in August 2007
- Mont Blanc (Europe) in July 2011
- Aconcagua (Argentina) in January 2014
- Mount Kosciuszko (Australia) in October 2014
- Carstensz Pyramid (Indonesia) in March 2015
- Vinson Massif (Antarctica) in December 2015
- Mount Everest (Nepal) in May 2016
- Denali / McKinley (Alaska) in June 2018
Social Impact
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado founded an organization called Courageous Girls. This group helps young people. Courageous Girls has worked on projects in Nepal, India, the United States, and Peru.
In the Shadow of the Mountain
In the Shadow of the Mountain is Silvia's first book. It was released in February 2022. In a review for The New York Times, Qian Julie Wang wrote that Silvia understands that "we do not conquer Everest... Instead, we must yield ourselves to the chasms and unexpected avalanches." Kirkus Reviews called the book "An emotionally raw and courageous memoir."
In November 2020, the Hollywood Reporter announced that actress Selena Gomez is set to play Vasquez-Lavado in the movie version of In the Shadow of the Mountain.
In March 2023, In the Shadow of the Mountain won a major prize, the 2023 Edward Stanford Travel Book of the year award.
Honors and Awards
Fortune magazine recognized Vasquez-Lavado as one of the Corporate Heroes of 2015. CNET named her one of the 20 most important Latinos in Silicon Valley. The Peruvian government has also honored her as one of their "Marca Peru" ambassadors. Vasquez-Lavado is a respected member of the Explorers Club. She also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Millersville University and gave a speech at their graduation ceremony on May 7, 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Silvia Vásquez-Lavado para niños
