As the team of ten Saudi women near Mount Everest's Base Camp- we're giving you an exclusive sneak peek to a conversation with HRH Princess Reema Banda Al Saud who has been at the forefront of the campaign: " A Woman's Journey: Destination Everest".
Junko Tabei was the first woman to climb to the top of Mount Everest in 1975. The mountain-climber expressed that “[t]echnique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given by others...it rises from your heart.” This May, a group of ten Saudi women will attempt to climb to the Mount Everest base camp in an attempt to raise awareness about a topic that rises from their hearts: breast cancer.
The campaign is titled “A Woman’s Journey: Destination Mount Everest” and the woman behind this mission is HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud. The reason her name might sound familiar might be because she partnered up with Dr. Modi Batterjee back in 2010 and managed to break the Guiness World Record by forming a female pink ribbon chain. This year, Reema is yearning for a different way of supporting the cause, which is why she joined forces with Hatun Madani, Alya Sa'ad, Mona Shahab, Noura Bouzo, Lina Al Meena, Samaher Mously, Asma Al-Ghalib, Mashael AlHegelan, Raha Moharrak and Hasna'a Mokhtar. These women are not professional mountain- climbers and will not climb to the peak, yet they have undergone months of extensive training in order to get into shape and prepare for two weeks of an achievable yet difficult adventure.
Oasis: What are the provisions you have all prepared for your trip?
HRH Princess Reema: Omar Samra and his wife Marwa of Wild Guanabana, who are our guides, have been educating us on all precautions needed for being safe, warm and avoiding altitude sickness. It’s not easy and we are all aware of that, but our team will support each other and pull through.
Oasis: Through your preparations for this trip, what is the one tip you would give those considering trekking to BC Mount Everest?
HRH Princess Reema: Omar Samra and his wife Marwa of Wild Guanabana, who are our guides, have been educating us on all precautions needed for being safe, warm and avoiding altitude sickness. It’s not easy and we are all aware of that, but our team will support each other and pull through.
Oasis: Through your preparations for this trip, what is the one tip you would give those considering trekking to BC Mount Everest?
HRH Princess Reema: I would say be prepared. Take the workouts seriously as no one else can do this for you. It's all you with your own strength and your own two feet.
Oasis: What are three essential items you cannot live without?
HRH Princess Reema: Excluding my children and family of course, my top 3 things are Twizzlers, iPhone, my tempur-pedic pillow
Oasis: How will you pass your walking time?
HRH Princess Reema: I have just downloaded some books to listen to and some music but I
have had a busy few days so am actually looking forward to just being
quiet and really seeing and experiencing every single thing around me. I
am sure this will be my first and last time up Everest so want to
absorb it all.
Oasis: If you plan on listening to your iPod while , which musicians do you think will suit your journey?
HRH Princess Reema: George
Michael and to be honest I am iTunes incapable so have passed my ipod
to friends and family and think I'm in for a surprise as to what they
have uploaded for me
Oasis:
The world’s highest bakery is located at your destination point. What
will be your guilty pleasure when you drag your aching feet behind you?
HRH Princess Reema: I am an equal opportunity eater, would be afraid to upset all the other treats by selecting just one!
Oasis: Rumor has it that your campaign has a mascot. Would you care to elaborate?
HRH Princess Reema: We
are honored to have Tamra our team mascot take the journey with us
(will send along pics of her on the plane for you to use etc.. her story
is also on our facebook page I believe) She was designed by the
geniuses at TCE and tells the story of our modern Saudi girl who has
suffered a loss in her family due to breast cancer.
Oasis: What is the one thing you look forward to doing
once you’re done with this campaign and what do you suppose your next
campaign will be?
HRH Princess Reema: Seeing my children would be the only thing on my mind. As to the next chapter of our journey, well, we stood shoulder to shoulder and will now walk up a mountain. The important thing is that the message that ties our campaign together is the importance of early detection and awareness of breast cancer. With that, I suppose the sky is the limit.
HRH Princess Reema: Seeing my children would be the only thing on my mind. As to the next chapter of our journey, well, we stood shoulder to shoulder and will now walk up a mountain. The important thing is that the message that ties our campaign together is the importance of early detection and awareness of breast cancer. With that, I suppose the sky is the limit.
Oasis: Is there a campaign related question that you keep hoping you might be asked?
HRH Princess Reema: I wish people would ask: "What can I do"...
I would then be able to answer: "Please walk with us for 10-15 minutes a
day and encourage someone to walk with you. Please talk about breast
cancer and be aware and make someone aware with you. Early detection is
one of the best defences against this disease, as is physical fitness.
"
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| Tamra on her way to Nepal - Starting Her Journey with the Climbers |
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