NI woman reaches Everest summit

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A County Londonderry dentist has become the first Northern Ireland woman to conquer Mount Everest - four years after abandoning a previous attempt.

Hannah Shields, 41, was part of a team which made it to the top of the world's highest peak on Friday morning.

In May 2003, she narrowly failed to reach the summit due to exhaustion and atrocious weather conditions.

Friend and fellow runner Dermot Connolly said the Kilrea woman was exhausted but ecstatic.

"It was a tremendous achievement. She thought long and hard about going back.

"She was so near yet so far last time, it was a big decision to go back but the determination was there."

Exactly four years ago Ms Shields was forced to abandon her attempt less than 300 ft from the summit.

She had to return to camp suffering from exhaustion and the onset of frostbite. However, she vowed to try again at some point.

She set off for her latest expedition in April as part of the "Seven Summits" team of international climbers.

Her attempt to scale the world's most unforgiving peak was expected to take about two months - but she managed the challenge in about six weeks.

She scaled Everest by the arduous north face shortly before midnight on Friday and has returned safely back down the most dangerous part of the mountain.

The 23-strong expedition team, led by Russian Alex Abramov and including John Delaney from County Laois, comprised of 17 climbers, four guides and a doctor.

'Well prepared'

Her victory has delighted her coach at City of Derry Athletics Club, Noel McMonagle.

"We are over the moon," he said.

"We couldn't be more happy for Hannah because Hannah is one of these people that takes these challenges on and she follows everything through.

"Every bit of preparation went into Everest and to get so close the last time... And then come back now this time it shows, the resilience that Hannah has."

Ms Shields is no stranger to challenges and has been a member of the local Sparta athletics club for about seven years.

She represented Northern Ireland in international cross-country running as well as having track and cross-country championships to her credit.

In May 2003, Terence "Banjo" Bannon, 35, from Newry, County Down, reached the top of the Everest.

It was the first time a team from Northern Ireland had reached the summit.

Dawson Stelfox from Lisburn became the first man from the province to make it to the top in 1993.

Sourced BBCi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6672937.stm

Congratulations Hannah. The whole of Greencastle is proud of you. Glad to see you're continuing your uncle's mad streak

[J70]

Hope she makes it down and back safely.

[Aerlik]

Or more precisely ...

an Irish woman from County Derry reaches the summit of Everest.  Yes, happy for her as I was a year younger than her at primary school in Kilrea.  Even pushed her off her bike one day!!!  Don't ask.

What's all this NI shite.  No such country...never was never will be.  The Ulster Scots brigade will next be telling us that because she lived in Kilrea close to Ballymoney, Ballymena, Ballybogey, Dervock, Bushmills and Stranocum, she is part fluent in the lingo.   

Ulster Scots...US...UnServiceable!!

[Evil Genius]

Or more precisely ...

an Irish woman from County Derry reaches the summit of Everest... 

...What's all this NI shite.  No such country...never was never will be. 

"Everest"?  Tut, Tut, Aerlik. Surely you mean "Chomolanga", or "Sagamatha"? And I'm surprised at your acceptance of "County Anything"*, seeing as that administrative designation was an imposition of the hated Brits, too. In fact, you really ought not to be posting in the language of the oppressor in the first place. Conor Murphy would be ashamed of you...

Anyhow, heartiest congratulations to the bold Ms. Shields for her great achievement; I just hope she was back in Base Camp in time to get the men's dinner on. 



* - There has never actually been a "County Derry"; originally, the city of Derry was in the County of Coleraine. When the city was renamed "Londonderry", Co.Coleraine was abolished, to be replaced by "Co. Londonderry":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Coleraine

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Once again Aerlik and EG miss the point of the thread

[Evil Genius]

Once again Aerlik and EG miss the point of the thread

Really? I thought this covered it:
"Anyhow, heartiest congratulations to the bold Ms. Shields for her great achievement"

The rest was my attempt to point out that Aerlik's post was not only irrelevant, but illogical even under by his own terms.

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Fair enough, just Aerlik then. Don't give oxygen to his idoicy then

[Evil Genius]

Fair enough, just Aerlik then. Don't give oxygen to his idoicy then

Good point. After all, if it's hard enough to debate Everest Sagamatha with Oxygen, then he's got no chance without it! 

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