CONQUERING THE STIGMA OF MENTAL HEALTH ONE SUMMIT AT A TIME
Canadian Woman Climbing Everest to Complete the Seven Summits

Canadian Woman Climbing Everest to Complete the Seven Summits of the World to Raise Awareness and Help End the Stigma on Mental Health

Ema Dantas is set to become Canada’s 24th person to complete the Seven Summits (both versions of them – Bass and Messner) when she completes her summit of Everest in May 2021. This Portuguese-born woman will also become the first Portuguese woman to complete the Seven Summits, thanks to her dual status as a citizen of both Canada and Portugal.

Once Dantas summits Everest, she will also become just the 131st Canadian (male or female) to summit Everest itself, which is an incredible feat. And she plans to do this conquest during a pandemic, no less.

“Every mountain is scary, and given my fear of heights, it is even more so! But I committed to climbing the 7 Summits for Mental Health and I honor my commitments. I feel at peace and excited to be finishing these high climbs but after this, I don't want to climb anymore tall mountains.”

Everest is the final summit of the Seven Summits that Dantas needs to complete. The climb was originally scheduled in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic and is now set to take place in May 2021. Dantas hopes that the daily changes to Canadian and worldwide travelling won’t impact her ability to transport to Nepal and embark on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. 

Dantas isn’t in this for herself. She climbs these summits in support of the Peaks for Change Foundation, a charity that holds significant meaning to her.

“Mental health, regardless of how fashionable it is to support the one-day Bell Canada initiative, is still a taboo subject for those suffering. My hope is that one day, the stigma surrounding mental health will be gone. Peaks for Change Foundation was simply created to help with that.”

Peaks for Change Foundation has been raising awareness and raising funds to help end the stigma associated with mental health. Even before the pandemic and the mental health challenges people around the world are experiencing, Dantas was championing mental health awareness.

Dantas recalls times her mother would hear voices but because of the stigma around mental illness, she went undiagnosed. It was likely she suffered from bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, but Dantas will never know for sure.  

“I know a little about stigma. People often look at me; a short, older, woman, and think I won’t be able to climb the final summit. But I will prove I can. I will prove that regardless of other’s opinions, if you set your mind to do something, you can!

 

Like the stigma on mental health - regardless of what others think, anyone suffering from a mental health illness can get better with the right support, treatment, dedication, and love. I recognize I didn’t support my Mom without stigma. Completing the 7 Summits is my way of asking for her forgiveness, for my ignorance of how much she was suffering and for being embarrassed sometimes about her and her illness.”

 

Now as she overcomes her fear of heights and ignores the challenges of her slight stature, Dantas climbs in hopes of changing attitudes about mental illness, one peak at a time.

SUMMITS BY EMA DANTAS (8 summits total to accommodate both the Bass and Messner versions of the 7 Summits)

1.     Oceania: Carstensz Pyramid 4,884m – October 12, 2017 – FIRST PORTUGESE WOMAN TO CLIMB AND SUMMIT

2.     Africa: Kilimanjaro 5,895m - January 6, 2018

3.     Europe/Russia: Elbrus 5,642m - July 29, 2018

4.     Antarctica: Vinson Massif 4,892m - December 5, 2018

5.     South America: Aconcagua 6,962m - February 19, 2019

6.     North America: Denali 6,194m - June 2019 –FIRST PORTUGESE WOMAN TO SUMMIT

7.     Australia: Mount Kosciusko 2,228m – November 16, 2019

8.     Asia: Everest 8,848m scheduled for May 2021

Posted by: Peaks for Change Foundation on February 19, 2021.
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