Double record breaker Tori on top of the world (From Western Telegraph)

Double record breaker Tori on top of the world

9:39am Wednesday 30th May 2007 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

She was determined to do it and now Pembrokeshire's most intrepid adventurer, Tori James, has made history by becoming the first Welsh woman to conquer Everest.

Tori reached the summit of the world's highest peak on Thursday after battling a stomach infection to get to the top.

Her achievement earns her a place in the record books, not only as the first Welsh woman to conquer the mountain but, at 25, as the UK's youngest too.

She reached the 29,030ft (8,850m) Himalayan summit in the early hours of Thursday.

"It's an amazing feeling to have reached the summit, I feel on top of the world, in more ways than one,'' she said.

"Our training and preparation has paid off and I am so grateful for all the support received from friends, family and sponsors at home. We are now looking forward to celebrating our achievements."

Tori, the daughter of Richard and Jane James, of Wood Park, Clarbeston Road, was among a team of four from the London Business School which combined their Everest challenge with raising funds for the Prince's Trust. Tori's mother is the director of the Prince's Trust in Wales.

Although the Everest climb is Tori's greatest achievement she has others to her name. In 2005 she became the youngest ever female to complete The Scott Dunn Polar Challenge - a 360-mile race to the Magnetic North Pole. Tori had spent 18 months preparing for the Everest expedition, training six days a week.

Last year she climbed Cho Oyu in Nepal, the sixth highest mountain in the world, and earlier this year completed an intensive trek up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Two of her team first made it to the summit on May 17th but Tori was forced to wait for her chance because of a stomach infection. All four of her team made it to the top early on Thursday.