Australian climber with MS becomes first from country to summit Everest
Jennifer Claire Willis, an Australian climber living with multiple sclerosis, reached the summit of Mount Everest with the support of record-holding Nepali guide Phunjo Jangmu Lama, three years after turning back at the South Col
PC: Jennifer's Facebook
Australian climber Jennifer Claire Willis summited Mount Everest on May 18, becoming the first Australian living with multiple sclerosis (MS) to reach the world’s highest peak, expedition organisers said, completing a long-held ambition that once appeared out of reach.
At the age of 54, she is also believed to be the oldest person with MS to reach the world’s highest peak
Jennifer was led by Phunjo Jangmu Lama, the Nepali climber who holds the women’s record for the fastest ascent of Everest, alongside guides Mingma Nurbu Sherpa and Pastenji Sherpa. According to Altipro Adventures, the team reached the 8,849-metre summit at 2:35am Nepal time.
For Phunjo, the summit added another chapter to an already extraordinary Everest résumé. In 2024, the Gorkha-born climber reclaimed the world record for the fastest female ascent of Everest, reaching the summit from base camp in just 14 hours and 31 minutes.
For Jennifer, however, the climb marked the culmination of a far more personal struggle. She had first attempted Everest in the spring of 2023, reaching the South Col at about 8,000 metres before turning back. Three years later, she returned determined to finish what she had started.
In a lengthy Facebook post recounting the ascent, Jennifer described moments when exhaustion and doubt nearly overcame her. She recalled considering abandoning the climb, only for Phunjo to push her onward with a mixture of encouragement and stern resolve.
“Jen, don’t even think about that now,” she quoted Phunjo as saying. “We just keep going and deal with things if we need to deal with them.”
Living with multiple sclerosis made the ascent especially punishing. Yet Jennifer described the summit not as a glamorous triumph, but as the reward for years of persistence and endurance.
“It’s not glamorous, it’s not easy,” she wrote, “but my gosh, it’s worth it.”
