Marta in her own words:
“My name is Marta and I come from a small town in Poland called Pila. Growing up I was raised by a single mum; I had a good but humble upbringing, I always loved the outdoors and hanging out with my friends.
My childhood in Poland was a happy time in my life, but after my first trip to London as a teenager it all changed. I realised very quickly that living in Poland wasn’t for me anymore; I had big dreams and ambitions that I knew I couldn’t pursue in my hometown. I spent one more year living in Poland, learning English and saving ready to finally enter the ‘big world’… then I moved to London.
Taking this chance opened up so many opportunities for me. I got a good degree, good job, I travelled the world and had some awesome adventures whilst doing so, that I’ve decided to share them here. So, here I am, writing my blog, hoping to inspire and invite you on my journey.
My love for travelling has grown immensely over the years. The more countries I saw, the more countries I wanted to see. Along the way, my style of travelling changed; I had even bigger accomplishments on my agenda. So I set myself two goals: to climb to the highest peak on each continent, the challenge known as 7 Summits; and to reach the highest peak of each European country, which I call The Crown of Europe.
Out of the 7 Summits, I’ve already completed 5 (the highest peak in Europe, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica) and I am getting ready to attempt another one later this year… Everest. I am extremely excited about it as this is also the last continent I still haven’t seen.
The second goal is to reach the highest peak of each European country, which I call The Crown of Europe There are 50 countries but 48 peaks and I have already completed 17 of them. However, this leaves plenty of adventure still ahead…”
*This episode was recorded in 20th January 2022 - Marta summited Everest 6.25am on May 15th, 2022.
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Show notes
Who is Marta
Moving to the UK from Poland 17 years ago
Her goal to climb the 7 summits
Wanting to climb the highest peak in each European Country
Growing up in Poland and what her early years were like
Not being close to the mountains as a child
Being inspired by her father who was very outdoorsy
Getting use to the cold weather
Her passion for travel
Wanting more from travel and wanting to combine it with adventure
Setting herself 2 BIG goals
The Crown of Europe of Challenge
Climbing Kilimanjaro first
Climbing Mt. Blanc and then Elbrus.
Climbing Aconcagua in South America
Climbing Denali in North America which was the toughest climb she’s done.
Go to Antarctica to climb Vincent and why it was her favourite climb so far
Taking on Everest in April 2022
Leaving Carstensz Pyramid until the end due to the political situation and the costs involved.
Costs of climbing mountains and how she’s paying for the adventures
Going to Everest in 2021 and having her trip cancelled
Funding her challenges
Her fear of dying while in the mountains
Dealing with the downtime and how she handled the waiting.
Handling her period while in the mountains
Using wet wipes to shower
Stop taking the pill when you are at high altitude as it thickens your blood
Wearing a nappy on the summit push?
Trying things out in advance
Dealing with stress diarrhea while climbing
The mental side of the challenge
Dealing with stress and anxiety
How you can change your thinking
Focusing on what she can control
Visiting the Altitude Centre in London
Getting physically strong and what training looks like this year
Developing her own training plan and being flexible with what it looks like
Stretching for recovery and eating well
Being anaemic and feeling tired
Feeling more relaxed and knowing what to expect this time around
Being guided by Nirmal Purja team
Being inspired by Martyna Wojciechowska
How you can follow Marta
Final words of advice and wisdom
Being a normal person and making the decision to go for it.
Social Media
Website: www.tolivetotravel.com
Instagram: @tolivetotravel
Facebook: @tolivetotravel
Twitter: @tolivetotravel
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