A Woman Battling Incurable Cancer Set Her Sights on Everest, and Made It to the Top

A U.K. woman climbs Mount Everest for the second time, becoming the first woman with stage 4 cancer to ever climb the tallest mountain in the world. The woman, 50-year-old exercise psychologist Dr. Shaunna Burke, raised over $100,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support during her climb. It’s truly an astounding accomplishment.

Woman Climbs Mount Everest and Becomes 1st Female Stage 4 Cancer Patient to Do So

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Dr. Shuanna chose to climb the mountain for a second time (her first time was over two decades ago) to “inspire others who are facing their own battles.”

Shuanna has incurable stage 4 breast cancer. She was diagnosed only two years ago and has undergone radiotherapy, liver surgery, and a double mastectomy.

She trained for the climb for an entire year. When she got to the top of the mountain, she said, “We reached the summit of Everest today. I can't believe 21 years later, second time standing on the summit of Everest, this time with stage 4 cancer. For anybody out there struggling with cancer, keep going, keep taking steps forward.”

The hardest part of her journey was spending cold nights on Everest. She slept in a tent, and when your body isn’t moving, it becomes very cold.

An Inspiration to Other Patients

She hopes her climb inspires others to believe they can accomplish big things despite their diagnoses.

“I will be living with cancer for the rest of my life and it will have to be controlled,” Burke said in a video on her website. “I have no idea where it came from but it was this powerful feeling that just came over me of wanting to live. I don't want to just survive, I want to thrive. So I am determined, with every fiber of my being, to make that happen.”

It Wasn’t Just a Climb to Raise Money and Awareness. It’s for Research, Too

Dr. Shuanna is very accomplished. She also ran the Everest Marathon and climbed Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, Elbrus in Russia, and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

In the process of her brave climb, Shuanna gathered research on how low oxygen impacted her cancer markers and patient outcomes.

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This is no small feat. Shuanna had very noble reasons for her climb, and I’m ever so glad that she accomplished what she set out to do. I hope she continues to make a change in the cancer world, and from what I’ve gathered about her, I’m sure she will!

WATCH: A Woman Battling Incurable Cancer Set Her Sights on Everest, and Made It to the Top

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h/t: People

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/dyingtoclimb

Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.