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Sharon Wood

First N.A. Woman to Summit Everest

In 1986, Sharon Wood became the first North American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Since then, she has told her compelling story about beating the odds to audiences across North America. She speaks about meeting the challenges we are all faced with, personally and professionally. Through her personal disclosure of confronting and overcoming challenges and fears, she succeeds in using the imposing example of climbing the highest mountain in the world to provide her audiences with a tangible means of grasping the essence of her story - living and working closer to our potential. Her awe-inspiring visuals will take you on an adventure that you will remember forever.

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In 1986, Sharon Wood became the first North American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In climbing the West Ridge from Tibet, her team established a new and difficult route that has never been successfully repeated. She has acquired more than thirty years of experience as a professional and elite climber. In addition to climbing Mount Everest, she has successfully climbed numerous 20,000-foot-plus peaks.

Since climbing Mount Everest, Wood has told her compelling story about beating the odds to audiences across North America. She speaks about meeting the challenges we are all faced with, personally and professionally. Through her personal disclosure of confronting and overcoming challenges and fears, she succeeds in using the imposing example of climbing the highest mountain in the world to provide her audiences with a tangible means of grasping the essence of her story - living and working closer to our potential. Her awe-inspiring visuals will take you on an adventure that you will remember forever.

Everest: Insights From a Higher Ground

Sharon Wood teaches, entertains and inspires with her personal story about reaching the top of Mount Everest. Stunning still images and video illustrate the journey of a small team who shared a bold vision to climb the highest mountain in the world by a more difficult route and with fewer physical and financial resources.

Her story powerfully demonstrates how exemplary teamwork and leadership can render the impossible possible. Sharon effectively conveys both the individual and the team perspective by stressing the importance of honoring her own passion and dreams while fulfilling a role as a member of a team - a team committed to a shared vision.

Sharon's style is personal and moving. She uses powerful anecdotes and vivid analogies to convey the elements that parallel the challenges of striving individuals and organizations. Sharon's authentic, humorous and honest approach evokes listeners to consider the value of their own resources and opportunities.

This is more than an adventure story - it is a timeless, universal story about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. For anyone wanting to be more effective in his or her work or life, Sharon's story is a powerful inspiration.

Each presentation is tailored to the focus and timelines of the audience. Based on the objectives of the client the following themes can be incorporated:

·The power of passion and curiosity
·Fostering a shared vision
·Accomplishing more with less
·Thriving through change and adversity
·Integrating personal aspirations with team power
·Looking outside the box for creative solutions
·Maintaining the momentum and staying the course
·Believing "better is possible"
·Firing on all cylinders
·Expanding possibilities
·Maximizing courage - diminishing fear
·Leading from where you are - personal leadership
·Embracing the value of diversity
·Being and living our potential
·Performing versus conforming
·Recognizing, giving and accepting support

I feared these people were too "sophisticated" to respond to a motivational speaker. I couldn¹t have been more wrong. Your story, and the slides and the video that went with it were fascinating. You clearly understood the problems we faced, and tailored your presentation to our needs. Your low-key style set off the message like black velvet behind diamonds.

RBC
Sharon your message regarding team concepts, interdependencies, and maximizing one¹s potential was directly on point. You were extremely effective in applying your own experiences in high altitude climbing to our business setting. The extra time you spent with us to get a deeper understanding of our business was clear to the audience and strengthened your impact. Moreover, your engaging and relaxed communication style enabled our staff to relate sell to you and with you. Simply put, you clearly exceeded our expectations and our expectations were quite high.

Medstat - A Thomson Company
Everyone in the audience unanimously agreed that your presentation was fantastic. Your message which was delivered with such honesty, really struck home for the audience while leaving the event they felt energized, entertained and ready to recognize the many opportunities in front of them. I am convinced that the success of this session was not only in your actual message and delivery, but in the hard preparation work and the time you dedicated in prep discussions with myself and other P&G leaders beforehand.

Procter & Gamble
Most important they said that they could relate to your accomplishment and story in a way that they had not experienced with other speakers. Not that they thought they could climb Everest, but that through personal commitment and teamwork they could take their ordinary skills and develop them in a way that would allow them to deliver more both personally and professionally than had thought possible.

GlaxoSmithKline

November -0001
Pushing the Limits by Chic Scott
Sharon Wood is profiled in Chic Scott's "Pushing the Limits" - Her first break came in 1977 when she joined an all womens expedition to Mount Logan. Then in 1983 she had her first big success with the Cassin Ridge on Mount Mckinley which “really changed my attitude. I didn't see myself so much as a woman but as a climbing partner. I came back with a lot of confidence.” Expeditions to Makalu (1984), the south face of Aconcagua (1984) and the northeast face of Huascaran Sur (1985) followed. By 1986 she realized that she was “…ready for anything.” Her ascent of Mount Everest by the difficult west ridge and north face was first for a North American woman, but as her friend Albi Sole recalled, “It's not because she was a woman that she got to the top, it's because she was the right person for the job”

Learn about Swiss guides hired by CPR hotels who ushered in the glory years of first ascents. Continue through to the turn of the twentieth century when British and American climbers of leisure found themselves hampered by the difficulties of travel through the Canadian wilderness. Learn about the European immigrants of the 1950s who pushed the limits on the rock walls, and the American superstars who led the search for frightening new routes on the big north faces. Be there when British expatriates pioneer an exciting new trend in world mountaineering—waterfall ice climbing. Witness the popular growth of sport climbing, both on the crags and in the gyms. Finally, enjoy the story of home-grown climbers. Initially slow to take up the challenge, both at home and overseas, they are now leaders in the climbing world.

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