Vanessa O'Brien
 Vanessa O'Brien at Aiguille du Midi | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Main discipline | Mountaineer, Explorer, Speaker |
| Other disciplines | Former Business Executive |
| Born |
December 2, 1964 Grosse Pointe, MI, USA |
Vanessa Audi Rhys O'Brien, is a British-American mountain climber, explorer, public speaker and former business executive. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Member of The Explorers Club. She climbed the highest mountain peak on each continent and has also skied the last degree (60 nautical miles or 111 km) to the South Pole in the Antarctic. As of March 2013, Vanessa became the fastest woman to climb the Seven Summits, in 10 months, one of only 54 to do so.[1] For this accomplishment she was listed in the 2015 Guinness Book of World Records.[2]
Vanessa O'Brien continued to ski the last degree (60 nautical miles or 111 km) to the North Pole after being dropped off by the Russian staff at Barneo at 89 degrees North. She reached the North Pole 4.5 days later on April 16, 2013, making her the fastest woman to complete the Explorers Grand Slam in 11 months.[3][4] In 2014, she carried Explorers Club Flag #206 to Manaslu's summit as part of a research study investigating nocturnal hypoxic exposure on high-altitude mountaineering.[5]
Early life
Vanessa Audi Rhys O'Brien was born on December 2, 1964 and grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Having trekked to Mount Everest base camp and reached the summits of a number of notable mountains, including two of the world's fourteen 8,000 meter peaks (Shishapangma and Cho Oyu), she decided to build on her passion for mountaineering and set herself the challenge of achieving the Explorer's Grand Slam.[6] The Explorer's Grand Slam entails reaching the Seven Summits, the North and South Poles, as well as meeting the Three Pole Challenge.[7]
She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University and an Executive MBA in Finance from the Stern School of Business, New York University. During her professional career, Vanessa held London-based positions as the Director of Finance and Business Development for Bank of America's credit card division, Barclays Bank and Morgan Stanley. She also held senior roles in finance, strategic planning and business development at Capital One and GE Capital in the United States.[8][9]
Expeditions
| Mountain | Height | Date Climbed | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilimanjaro | 19,340 ft. | March 10, 2013 | Africa |
| Everest | 29,035 ft. | May 19, 2012 | Asia |
| Denali | 20,320 ft. | June 19, 2012 | N. America |
| Elbrus | 18,510 ft. | July 15, 2012 | Europe |
| Carstensz Pyramid | 16,023 ft. | Sept. 23, 2012 | Oceania |
| Kosciuszko | 7,310 ft. | Oct. 3, 2012 | Australia |
| Vinson Massif | 16,050 ft. | Dec. 5, 2012 | Antarctica |
| Aconcagua | 22,841 ft. | Jan. 20, 2013 | S. America |
| Mountain | Height | Date Climbed | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everest | 29,035 ft. | May 19, 2012 | Asia |
| South Pole | 89 Degree | Dec. 15, 2012 | Antarctica |
| North Pole | 89 Degree | April 16, 2013 | Arctic Ocean |
| Mountain | Height | Date Climbed | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everest | 18,500 ft. | April 28, 2010 | Asia (Nepal) |
| Shishapangma (Central) | 26,273 ft. | Oct. 4, 2011 | Asia (Tibet) |
| Cho Oyu | 26,906 ft. | Oct. 12, 2011 | Asia (Tibet) |
| Lobuche East | 19,700 ft. | April 14, 2012 | Asia (Nepal) |
| Mont Blanc | 15,781 ft. | June 25, 2014 | Europe |
| Manaslu [10] | 26,759 ft. | Sept. 25, 2014 | Asia (Nepal) |
References
- ↑ "Seven Summits Climber Continues to the Ends of the Earth to Reach Goal". tomsonsafaris.com. March 2013.
- ↑ "Guinness World Records 2015 - Mountaineering". Guinness World Records 2015. Guinness World Records 2015.
- ↑ "Boston's Vanessa O'Brien Completes 'Explorers Grand Slam' in Record Time". Boston.com. April 2013.
- ↑ "Woman Completes Explorer's Grand Slam in Record Time". grindtv.com. May 2013.
- ↑ "The Explorers Log" (PDF). The Official Newsletter of the Explorers Club (Published Quarterly) 46 (4): 22, 24, 26, 27. Fall 2014.
- ↑ "Vanessa O'Brien: What Attracted me was the Goal". myfoxla.com. May 2013.
- ↑ "Loren's Badass Chick of the Week: Vanessa O'Brien". 1033ampradio.cbslocal.com. May 2013.
- ↑ "Boston woman tackles peaks at a record pace". thebostonglobe.com. April 2013.
- ↑ "Boston College Club Woman Vanessa O'Brien to Become the First Woman to Complete the Explorer's Grand Slam". clubcorp.com. January 2013.
- ↑ "Manaslu 2014 Expedition". Himalayan Experience. Retrieved 15 September 2015.