Eva Steinwald

In her own words

What do you do in the mountains?

After losing my husband, Pat, grief could have defined the rest of my life. Instead, I chose to climb.

At 61, with no mountaineering experience, I began a journey to complete the Seven Summits. But the mountains have become so much more than a climbing challenge. They became my path from grief to resilience, teaching me courage, humility, and the strength to keep moving forward.

Every summit is a reminder that life's greatest growth begins beyond our comfort zone. My hope is to inspire others to believe they are capable of more than they ever imagined. Can't. Must. Did.

The moment that means the most

With a debilitating knee injury just weeks before my scheduled Mont Blanc climb, there were moments when I questioned whether I should even attempt it. The doubts were real, but so was my determination. I refused to let the injury make the decision for me. Not only did I reach the summit, but my guide and I completed the climb in one push and in exceptional time.

It wasn't just a mountaineering achievement. It was proof that belief, resilience, and the right mindset can carry us through uncertainty. Sometimes our greatest victory is refusing to give in before we've even begun.

And in 2025 I broke an 18-year-old record, becoming the oldest American woman to summit Everest - a record that was broken five days later. Records are made to be broken.

What's next?

Next are Carstensz Pyramid in Papua and Vinson Massif in Antarctica, bringing me closer to completing the Seven Summits. When the war is over, I will complete Elbrus.

But my greatest goal extends beyond summits. I want to create life-changing adventures that inspire ordinary people who have experienced hardship or have lost their purpose in life to step outside their comfort zones, discover the extraordinary within themselves, and realize they are capable of far more than they ever imagined.