First Females – celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first female ascent of Mount Everest
First Females - celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first female ascent of Mount Everest
Podcast Description
First Females is a podcast marking 50 years since Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit Everest. Hosted by Tori James, the first Welsh woman to reach the top, the series celebrates pioneering women in mountaineering – especially those who were the first from their countries. Through inspiring stories of courage and ambition, the podcast aims to motivate future generations to dream big and climb higher.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes such as courage, ambition, and breaking barriers through personal accounts of trailblazing women in mountaineering. Episodes highlight topics like health struggles in extreme conditions, teamwork in high-risk expeditions, and the evolution of mountaineering, with examples including Lydia Bradey on climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen and Hannah Shields discussing mental resilience.
First Females is a podcast marking 50 years since Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit Everest. Hosted by Tori James, the first Welsh woman to reach the top, the series celebrates pioneering women in mountaineering – especially those who were the first from their countries. Through inspiring stories of courage and ambition, the podcast aims to motivate future generations to dream big and climb higher.
In this episode I speak to Polly Murray, the first Scottish woman to summit Mount Everest at the age of 26. Polly is a qualified ski instructor and has represented the UK in Nordic skiing and completed a ski traverse of Bylot island in northern Canada. Polly also holds the record for the First joint Telemark Ski decent of McKinley via rescue gully (Denali, in Alaska which is the highest peak in north America).
Polly describes her journey to becoming a mountaineer, her love of the outdoors, and her upbringing in Scotland that fueled her adventurous spirit.
Reflecting on her expedition to Everest in the year 2000, she talks of ferocious storms and tents being completely shredded by the wind, followed by the exhilaration, and unique experience of standing atop the world’s highest peak.
Beyond Everest, Polly talks about her Arctic traverse, presenting for the BBC’s Survival series, and life as a mother in Scotland.
🎙️ About First Females
In 1975, Junko Tabei became the first woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. Over the past 50 years, approximately 900 women have followed in her footsteps, defying cultural and physical barriers to reach the top of the world. Very few people have heard of Junko Tabei.
The First Females Podcast is being made to shine a spotlight on her remarkable achievement and to celebrate the incredible stories of women from around the world who were the first from their countries to reach the summit of Everest. This podcast explores their motivations, the challenges they faced, and the legacy they leave behind.
🏴 About Tori James
Tori James is the first Welsh woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest (8848m). She has also climbed the world’s sixth highest peak, Cho Oyu (8201m), skied to the Magnetic North Pole, cycled the length of New Zealand and completed a record-breaking kayak as part of the Beeline Britain team.
In the 50th Anniversary Year of the first female ascent of Mount Everest, Tori returned to Nepal to climb Yala Peak (5555m), a mountain climbed by Junko Tabei in 1977.
A film called ‘More Than a Mountain’ is being produced as a living tribute to Junko. Watch the trailer here.
Tori is an accomplished motivational speaker who has inspired audiences across the globe. In the First Females podcast Tori will share her enthusiasm for storytelling and celebrating the achievements of pioneering women in mountaineering.
In her interviews with Everest summiteers from around the world, Tori will bring her unique perspective and firsthand experience to the conversation with the aim of inspiring future generations of women to dream big, climb higher, and break barriers in their own lives.
🙏 Thank you
The technical production of the First Females podcast has been delivered by Huw James, a talented science presenter, adventurer, and content creator from Wales. As the host and producer of the Athlete Climate Academy podcast, Huw brings invaluable expertise, passion for quality, and meticulous attention to detail to every episode.
Website: www.huwjames.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/athleteclimateacademy/
Bethan Lee is the incredible woman who supports the delivery of my projects, from talks and events, to festivals and now podcasts. She brings them to life visually and organisationally.
🏔️ Sponsorship Opportunities Available
If you're interested in sponsoring the First Females podcast, we'd love to hear from you.
📲 Connect with Tori
To stay updated on future episodes and projects, be sure to follow Tori on social media & sign up for her newsletter.
Newsletter:http://eepurl.com/i1SxCs
Instagram: @torijameseverest
Facebook: @torijameseverest
X: @torijtweets
Website: www.torijames.com
You can watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstFemalesPodcast
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share the podcast with your friends.
#FirstFemalesPodcast #MyJunkoJourney
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