Céline Thanh Nha becomes first Vietnamese woman to complete Seven Summits

The milestone was reached on Saturday after Céline Thanh Nha, 39, successfully summited Denali, a 6,190-meter-high peak in North America, marking the final ascent in her multi-year quest across the world's tallest mountains.

Over the course of her journey, she climbed Mount Everest in Asia, Mount Elbrus in Europe, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Aconcagua in South America, Vinson Massif in Antarctica, and Puncak Jaya in Oceania.

With the achievement, she joins an estimated group of around 100 women globally who have completed the Seven Summits.

"After everything, what remains is not just the seven mountains. It is also thousands of hours of training, the failures, the times I had to turn back, the nights spent in a tent amid thunderstorms or snowstorms, and the friends who accompanied me along the way," the woman wrote on her personal Facebook page after completing the ascent.

"It is the feeling of knowing that I have lived my youth to the fullest and fulfilled a promise I made a decade ago." 

The latest achievement marks the culmination of a nearly-10-year journey that required more than 5,000 hours of disciplined training.

Her successful climb of Denali not only fulfilled a promise she made to herself a decade ago, but also serves as an inspiration to younger generations, especially women, to step beyond their comfort zones and pursue their ambitions.

She began to draw widespread attention in 2022 when she became the first Vietnamese woman to summit Mount Everest, the world's highest peak at nearly 8,849 meters.

Behind her identity as a mountaineer is a successful legal career.

She holds two master's degrees in law from Sorbonne University and Pantheon-Assas University in France.

Her path into mountaineering began while she was working in Malaysia for Petronas, the national oil and gas company.

After returning to Vietnam, she underwent formal training under experienced instructors and gradually progressed toward high-altitude expeditions.

In an earlier interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Céline Thanh Nha said mountaineering is more than a passion.

It is a test of body, mind, and spirit that pushes her beyond her comfort zone.

The lawyer, who resides in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that while law and mountaineering may appear unrelated, both demand precision, discipline, and strict risk management.