Two Top Women Atop Everest

On May 14^th, 2022, Gabby Kanizay become the youngest Australian to summit Mount Everest. In doing so at the ripe old age of 19 years and 68 days, she broke the record of fellow mountaineer and Mountain Designs Adventure Ambassador Alyssa Azar, who previously surpassed the record back in 2016 as a 19-year-old. Here, Alyssa pays tribute to her fellow adventurer.

Congratulations to Gabrielle Kanizay on becoming the youngest Australian to summit Mount Everest. It was one of the proudest moments of my life to become the youngest Australian to summit Mount Everest – a moment that is hard to describe unless you’ve been there and done it, and a moment in time that I will never forget. There are very few people that understand the level of drive required to even get an attempt at climbing Everest, let alone to actually achieve climbing to the top of the world, especially at the age of 19. It involves years of hard work, many sacrifices, and backing yourself against the odds for an opportunity that may never even present itself. It is an honour to see another person take over the record, and I can’t think of a more well-deserving person.

Gabby is an outlier, a phenomenal athlete, and she is incredibly tough. She has my utmost respect and admiration, and she should be very proud to be the youngest Australian to ever climb Mount Everest.

Gabby Kanizay stands on top of Everest as the youngest Australian in history to summit, left, and at Everest base camp, right. (Images courtesy of Tendi Sherpa & Gabby Kanizay)

Alyssa Azar, the previous youngest Aussie to summit Everest, left and at Everest base camp, right. (Images courtesy of Alyssa Azar)

Photo Credits

Images supplied by:

• Tendi Sherpa
• Gabby Kanizay
• Alyssa Azar