In January 2024, Rowena was a UK-based nurse, advanced clinical practitioner, and university lecturer with zero mountain experience and a longest-ever run of 10K.
Fast forward to today, she’s stood on the roof of the world.
Earlier this year, Rowena summited Mount Everest, ticking off the fourth of the famed Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each continent. If she completes her goal, she could become the first female nurse in the UK to complete all Seven Summits.
Her journey didn’t begin with decades of alpine experience or elite athlete status.
It started with a decision.
“Before January 2024, I hadn’t climbed a single mountain or run further than 10K. I feel I’m proof that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.”
Big mountains, bigger message
For Rowena, the Seven Summits are about more than peak bagging. They’re a way to highlight the compassion and resilience nurses, midwives, and healthcare assistants show every single day, and to raise funds to support them through the challenges they face.
She’s set herself a £1,500 fundraising goal in honour of the RCN Foundation’s 15th anniversary. The Foundation provides vital financial assistance, professional development opportunities, and grants for nurse-led projects, helping the profession she’s proud to represent.
Summits so far
Since starting her mission in 2024, Rowena has already climbed:
- Mount Kilimanjaro: 5,895m (Africa) January 2024
- Mount Elbrus: 5,642m (Europe) August 2024
- Aconcagua: 6,961m (South America) February 2025
- Mount Everest: 8,849m (Asia) May 2025
Still to come:
Carstensz Pyramid (Indonesia), Denali (North America), and Mount Vinson (Antarctica).
The reality above the clouds
Everest brought more than just physical demands. Twice on the mountain, Rowena was struck with food poisoning, the second time forcing her to skip an acclimatisation climb. At the time, she feared this could jeopardise her summit attempt, but the rest and recovery gave her the reserves she needed to push for the top.
Altitude sickness (a common obstacle for climbers) has so far spared her, but she knows it can strike without warning.
“You can climb perfectly fine one day and be floored the next,” she says.
The psychological challenges were harder to prepare for. She witnessed active death and dying, not just the frozen figures most climbers expect. In the death zone, she placed her life entirely in her Sherpa’s hands, sometimes unclipped from safety to navigate bottlenecks with a sheer drop at her side.
“It’s a different kind of vulnerability. Out there, you have no control over the elements, or your survival.”
Nursing instincts at 8,000m
Her clinical background shaped her decision-making on the mountain. After more than 20 hours without urinating, she knew she was severely dehydrated and resisted taking aspirin-based pain relief, aware of the strain it could place on her kidneys.
Hydration itself was a battle: bottles freezing, gear hard to access, and the constant trade-off between stopping to drink or pressing on.
Rowena’s approach to altitude medication is equally cautious. After experiencing blurred vision and unusual side effects from Diamox on her first climb, she now carries it for emergencies rather than using it pre-emptively.
Why she’s climbing, and why now
For Rowena, this isn’t just about personal endurance. Having worked on the NHS frontline during COVID-19, she’s seen first-hand the toll on the nursing profession, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Many colleagues are still living with the long-term effects.
“Supporting the wellbeing of nurses is more important now than ever. This challenge is my way of giving back to the profession that has shaped my life.”
What’s next?
With Everest complete and four summits behind her, Rowena is back in training and planning her next climbs. The road ahead will test her physically, mentally, and financially, but she’s not slowing down.
We’ll be following her every step of the way, sharing updates as she pushes towards becoming the first female nurse in the UK to complete the Seven Summits.
→ Donate to Rowena’s RCN Foundation fundraiser (JustGiving)
→ Donate to Rowena’s RCN Foundation fundraiser (GoFundMe)
→ Follow her Seven Summits journey on Instagram
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