The first Vietnamese woman to conquer the 7 highest mountains in the world

Céline Thanh Nha has achieved a historic milestone in mountaineering, becoming the first Vietnamese woman to complete the "Seven Summits" challenge -conquering the highest peaks on all seven continents.

Located in Alaska (USA), Denali (6,190 m) is considered by the mountaineering community to be one of the harshest and most technically demanding challenges among the Seven Summits. Unlike Everest, where Sherpas and porters assist in transporting heavy equipment, Denali climbers must be entirely self-sufficient, hauling their own massive loads of gear on sleds across unforgiving, sub-zero glacial terrain. By successfully summiting Denali, Céline Thanh Nha completed the "Seven Summits" list, joining an elite group of approximately 100 women globally who have ever achieved this feat.

Céline Thanh Nha first drew worldwide attention in May 2022 when she became the first Vietnamese woman to conquer Mount Everest (8,848.86 m, Asia). Prior to Everest, she had successfully climbed Elbrus (Europe, 5,642 m in winter - a personal record for Vietnamese women), Kilimanjaro (Africa, 5,895 m), Carstensz Pyramid, also known as Puncak Jaya (Oceania, 4,884 m - another personal record for Vietnamese women), Aconcagua (South America, 6,961 m) and Vinson Massif (Antarctica, 4,892 m).

"After all, what remains is not just the seven mountains. It is also thousands of hours of training, the failures, the turnbacks, the nights spent in tents amidst thunder and blizzards, and the friends who walked alongside me for a part of the way. It is the feeling of knowing that I have lived fully with a brilliant youth and fulfilled a promise made a decade ago", Thanh Nha shared on her personal Facebook page after completing this admirable feat, which no other Vietnamese woman had ever accomplished.

To achieve this glory, Céline Thanh Nha (real name Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha, born in 1987, living in Ho Chi Minh City) has gone through a persistent journey spanning nearly a decade, with over 5,000 hours of disciplined training.

Behind the unwavering determination of a mountaineer lies the image of a successful female lawyer. She holds two master's degrees in law from the Sorbonne University and the Panthéon-Assas University (France). She is the founder and CEO of Celigal Law Firm, a legal expert at Omvest (Openasia Group), and the chairwoman of the Yeti Capital investment fund.

Thanh Nha's journey into rock climbing began while she worked in Malaysia for the national oil and gas corporation Petronas. Upon returning to Vietnam, she began formal training under the guidance of experienced instructors.

For her, mountaineering is not just a passion but also a "test" to train the body, mind, and spirit, pushing herself out of her comfort zone. The legal profession and mountaineering might seem opposite, but they share a great similarity as both demand meticulous calculation, absolute discipline, and the ability to manage risk at the lowest possible level.

Aside from mountaineering, she actively participates in other high-intensity sports, including golf, skydiving, skiing, and racing. "Dreams are the daily fuel to break existing boundaries, giving us the freedom to pursue our passions and reinvent ourselves in every aspect of life," Céline Thanh Nha said.

Her victory on Denali is a major milestone for Vietnamese sports, illustrating an extraordinary blend of mental strength, leadership, and world-class physical endurance. This triumph not only helped her fulfill a promise from a decade ago but also serves as an inspiration for the younger generation, especially women, to boldly step out of their comfort zones to pursue their dreams.