First Black Latin American Woman to Reach the Summit of Mount Everest Only 41 Brazilians have ever reached the summit of Mount Everest. Of these, just five were women — and none were Black. That was the reality until May 23, 2021, when, at around 10:24 a.m. (Nepal time) and 1:39 a.m. (Brasília time), Aretha Duarte made history as the first Black Latin American woman to stand on the highest point on Earth — delivering a powerful message in the times we live in: dreaming is essential, because each of us carries the raw inner power to conquer our own “Everests.” And every achievement is, above all, a collective one. A mountaineer, socio-environmental entrepreneur, and ESG Ambassador at Veolia Brazil, Aretha’s journey is defined by resilience and pioneering spirit. She has climbed some of the world’s most iconic mountains — including Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, and Aconcagua (five times) — accomplishing remarkable feats. As a motivational speaker and author of the biography From Scrap to Everest, Aretha shares her transformative message across the globe with diverse audiences. She has spoken to over 50 major global companies, such as Veolia, Google, iFood, IBM, Vivo, Vibra Energia, Nestlé, Banco do Brasil, Syngenta, among many others — inspiring thousands of people. She has received several awards, including UOL Universa Inspiring Women 2021, and leads social impact projects, such as the creation of the first Sustainable Climbing Wall in the outskirts of Campinas — “the first of many!” — promoting human and community development. In 2024, she premiered her TV series on Canal Off, “Te Encontro No Topo!” (“See You at the Top!”), launched on International Women’s Day, reinforcing her influence as an icon of overcoming challenges, empowerment, high performance, and socio-environmental awareness.