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Climbing Seven Summits, skiing to North and South Pole: UAE resident set to make history

As of 2023, fewer than 75 people have ever completed the full Grand Slam, with only 15 women among them

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Maria Conceição
by

Waheed Abbas

Published: Wed 9 Oct 2024, 6:00 AM

Last updated: Wed 9 Oct 2024, 8:46 PM

Long-time UAE resident Maria Conceição is about to make history as she takes on the final challenge in her extraordinary quest to summit Puncak Jaya in Indonesia, the highest peak in Oceania.

This climb will mark the completion of the prestigious Explorer’s Grand Slam, an incredible achievement in the world of extreme adventure.

The Explorer’s Grand Slam pushes participants to summit the tallest peaks on all seven continents and ski to both the North and South Poles, making it one of the most challenging accomplishments to achieve.

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As of 2023, fewer than 75 people have ever completed the full Grand Slam, with only 15 women among them.

Maria's journey has been full of historic firsts. In July 2024, she became the first Portuguese woman to summit K2, the second-highest mountain in the world at 8,611 metres, located in Pakistan. Known for being one of the most dangerous and challenging climbs, K2 demands exceptional strength and determination, which she demonstrated.

Now, as she prepares to summit Puncak Jaya in Indonesia, Maria is set to make history again as the first Portuguese woman to achieve this remarkable feat.

Reflecting on her journey, she shared, "The Explorer’s Grand Slam has been a dream of mine for years. To think that I’m just one climb away from completing this journey feels surreal. It’s been an uphill battle both literally and figuratively, but every step forward has been worth it. I hope my story encourages others to push beyond their own limits and show that anything is possible with persistence and passion,” Conceição said.

She has already completed the North Pole and South Pole ski expeditions and summited Mount Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Elbrus (Europe) and Vinson Massif (Antarctica). Now, all that remains is Puncak Jaya.

Prior to Conceição, Dubai resident Tima Deryan was the first in the UAE to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam in 2023.

While Maria has already achieved so much, her journey has not been without challenges. After a severe knee injury during a previous attempt to summit Denali in 2018, she faced a long and difficult recovery.

Dr Anna Zickerman of UPANDRUNNING Integrated Sports Medical Centre, who led Conceição’s rehabilitation, said Conceição’s resilience is unmatched. “Every day she fought through the pain to return to training, and she never gave up. The journey has been far from easy, but she has an incredible spirit that has carried her through the toughest of times.”

Conceição has been honoured with many awards including Emirates Humanitarian Woman of the Year in 2009, Emirates Woman of the Year in 2009, Most Inspiring Women of GCC by Kraft in 2010, Inspiring Change Award (International Gulf Organisation) in 2014 and many more.

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Waheed Abbas

Published: Wed 9 Oct 2024, 6:00 AM

Last updated: Wed 9 Oct 2024, 8:46 PM

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