‘What You Can Achieve When You Believe in Yourself’: 41-Year-Old Woman Set to Become the First From Aberdeen to Conquer Everest

The winds of Nepal continue to whisper tales of conquest. Dreams continue to aspire high and touch the sky. And amid this realm, a 41-year-old mom is about to embark on a journey against the formidable backdrop of Everest. Hailing from Aberdeen, she is on the cusp of shattering all barriers as she is all geared up to etch her name in the annals of mountaineering history.

This saga is not merely one of the ascents but is a tale of resilience in overcoming a demon she was fighting against for 15 long years. Let’s unravel how the 41-year-old with an indomitable spirit is looking to conquer not just the highest summit but all her inner demons.

Aberdeen’s Lee Donald’s plan to triumph Everest

41-year-old Lee Donald has fought against an eating disorder from which she has been suffering for the last 15 years. Battling depression and navigating the treacherous terrain of alcohol issues, Mrs. Donald will be the first woman from Aberdeen and the seventh Scotswoman to scale Mount Everest, when she finishes her climb. 

To fight against her eating disorder and depression she chose an easy way out and “chose alcohol as a way of dealing with things”. Her life took a challenging turn when she was just at her secondary school. “One minute you think you can control it and the next minute it controls you”, stated Mrs Donald referring to her struggle of fighting against her inner demons.

Fighting against her eating disorder she was slowly developing the habit of lying to keep secrets from others for several years. But ultimately she realized that it was high time for her to take the first step toward recovery and she finally chose to, “acknowledge it, accept it and speak about it”. She shared, “I knew that if I didn’t do something about it I wasn’t going to be here anymore”.

The mother of two children, Lea(7) and Jaxon(4) decided to conquer the highest peak on the globe just about one and a half years back. With the spirit of adventure coursing through her veins, she decided to prove a fact to her children, “what you can achieve when you believe in yourself”. She trained herself and prepared for the hike, as she knew it was “now or never”. 

Journey from rock bottom to conquering peaks worldwide

Lee did not see a stop even after achieving what she wanted to for so long. In 2023, she also scaled Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, going on a winter skills coast on the western coast of Scotland. She also climbed the highest peak in Western Europe, Mont Blanc in France, and Gran Paradiso in Italy in June 2023. Lee added, “I’ve went from being rock bottom to the top of the world, you can’t get any higher than that”.

Read More: 12-Year-Old Young Climber Embarks on a Journey from Yamanashi to the Top of Africa’s Highest Peak and Conquers Kilimanjaro

While she was in the process of healing, she decided to raise awareness about the same and help other people. “It’s quite nice for them to know I was where they were. I did struggle. I was overweight, underweight, struggled with my mental health and was dependent on alcohol, but I’ve still managed to rise above it by just putting in the work”, shared Lee. Currently, being the owner of Lee Donald Personal Training, she is working towards raising money for the North East Cancer charity.

“Just because you are where you are now doesn’t mean that’s where you need to stay”, said Mrs. Donald. Lee Donald’s journey from the depths of despair to the top of the world in all its senses ignites a spirit within us to dream higher and redefine the peaks of possibility.  

Watch This Story: 500 People Hike at Cranmore Mountain Resort, Raising $150,000 for Individuals Battling a Deadly Disease