The summit of success

A large crowd of enthralled Ballito residents filled Simbithi Country Club‘s Pavillion room to the brim last Thursday, February 18, as more than 100 people turned out to listen to the compelling story of Marlette ‘Molly’ Hegyi.

Hegyi is a South African mountaineer who has climbed four of the seven highest peaks on each of the planet’s seven continents and she shared her story of struggle, pain, determination and success.

Having conquered North America’s Mount Dinali (6 194 metres), South America’s Mount Aconcagua (6 961 metres), Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro (5 895 metres) and Europe’s Mount Elbrus (5 642 metres), Hegyi has climbed higher than most could ever dream.

She has also climbed to Everest base camp, where she survived last year’s terrifying earthquake in the Himalayas. But her story was not only about mountaineering, but more the unbreakable human will to climb those mountains, no matter the adversity.

“Do not let anyone or anything hold you back from climbing your own mountains and achieving your dreams,” she said.

Her message was to emphasise the unbreakable strength of the human spirit, which she said can achieve anything when pushed.

“Make the best out of the life you have because the feeling of accomplishment you feel when you conquer a personal goal cannot be matched, and life is too short not to take on challenges,” said Hegyi, who took on her training for the Seven Peaks challenge while going through the heartache of divorce.

Her inspirational story of resilience, courage and success in the face of exhaustion, emotional upheaval and life-threatening situations left the audience motivated to take on their own challenges and climb their own mountains, one peak at a time.

Tickets for this event were R50 per person, with all proceeds going to the North Coast Courier Orphan Fund.