Marin Minamiya is one of those rare public speakers who give you goosebumps. Her smiles, enthusiasm and positive attitude are infectious. 

I heard Marin Minamiya speak at ZafigoX 2019 – Malaysia’s largest female-exclusive travel event. I was so inspired that I asked her if I could write about her on my travel blog – and she said yes!

During her talk, Marin spoke of how she overcame obstacles and self-doubt to become the youngest person ever to complete the Explorers’ Grand Slam. By the end of her session, I too believed that I could climb mountains!

Marin’s beginnings

By the time Marin was 17, she was already well-travelled having lived in and attended school in many different countries.

Her heart had been captured by mountaineering on a school trip to Annapurna in the Himalayas. It was at this young age that Marin started dreaming of climbing Mount Everest. 

Climbing Mount Everest is tough – and incredibly expensive

A LOT of people want to climb Everest – the highest mountain in the world. Most don’t make it.

When Marin looked into the practicalities, she discovered that it would cost more than US$10,000 just to obtain a climbing permit for Mount Everest. 

On top of the cost of the permit, Marin would also need to purchase specialist equipment, clothing and flights. 

She asked her dad if he could help her and whilst he was supportive of her dream, he said he was not going to be able to support her financially. 

It wasn’t the end of her dream though.

Many teenagers would have crawled under their duvets as soon as their parents said they weren’t willing to fund their dreams.

Marin didn’t.

Marin started writing to newspapers and media outlets in Japan. Although there was little response, she kept writing and she kept training.

Eventually, a few newspapers decided to feature Marin and generous donor reached out to support her financially. 

Marin was on her way to the top of the world (literally)

Originally, Marin’s goal was only to climb Mount Everest. As she became a more accomplished climber her goals grew. Conquering Mount Everest became climbing the Seven Summits – the highest summit on each continent.

When the highest summits were scaled, Marin decided to add visits to the North and South poles to her resume. Thus completing the Explorers’ Grand Slam.

Completing the Explorers’ Grand Slam is a HUGE deal. 

According to the official Explorers Grand Slam website, only 67 people have completed the challenge. 67 people in the whole world. To complete it so young and having to self-fund makes Marin’s a momentous achievement. 

During her speech, her resilience shone through as she spoke of being trapped in a storm on Mount Denali, Alaska so frightening that she thought she might die. She survived but it meant that she had to turn back before she reached the summit.

That could have been the end of her quest to conquer all the Seven Summits. Except it wasn’t. She waited for better weather and climbed the mountain again – this time all the way to the top. 

A female explorer to inspire the next generation of adventurers

Perhaps my biggest takeaway from Marin’s powerful speech was how you can be vulnerable and resilient at the same time. Marin was very open about not just the physical hardships of training but also the emotional side of pushing yourself to your limits.

During training in Japan, Marin fell headfirst 250 metres down a mountain. She spoke bravely of how she survived the fall and spent time in hospital. A powerful moment was when Marin explained how after her discharge from the hospital, she went home to an empty house. She admitted how this sense of ‘alone-ness’ tore her up inside until a wonderful friend helped her on the road to recovery.

As women, we often think that sensitivity has no place in adventures. Actually, this level of perception and vulnerability is something very powerful that women bring to exploration and physical challenges.

I wish I could clone Marin and invite her clones to speak in every girls’ school around the world. To show teenagers that having BIG dreams and no money mustn’t hold them back. That it’s ok to be themselves. That sensitivity isn’t a weakness – it can be a powerful tool and the key to success. 

Is today Day One or just One Day?

During her XafigoX talk, Marin asked her audience this question. What is today is it Day One or just one day? Is today just another day going through the motions or will today be the start of a monumental change?

I urge you ask yourself this question. Ask your daughter this question. Ask your sons. What challenge or dream or ambition could you start working towards today?

If you’d like to find out more about Marin Minamiya, visit her beautiful website at www.marinminamiya.com or follow her on Instagram at @marin_minamiya

Did you know that World for a Girl features a female Japanese mountaineer on our logo? Find out why we chose to celebrate the world-famous Junko Tabei in our post Female Explorers of the Logo: Who are they?

We hope that you are enjoying our unique blend of #girlpower and family travel. Explore some of our popular posts to find out more:

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