By now, most people have heard of Bonita Norris who climbed her way into the record books by becoming the youngest Briton ever to summit the world’s highest peak – Mount Everest. She made headlines around the world and her remarkable feat, coupled with her model good looks, have made her a household name – at least in her native United Kingdom.

Immediately after her dramatic, but safe, return from the summit back down to Everest Base Camp, arriving in to the cheers and accolades of her team mates Bonita was, quite naturally, on a high. But after the initial flurry of media activity and television appearances, what happens to someone who has achieved so much at such a young age? When you’ve reached the highest of the high, is there anywhere to go but down?

Fortunately for Bonita, she developed a great physical strength over the course of her training at home and at Everest Base Camp. The trek obviously had a positive effect on her strength of character as well, and this seems to be one young lady who is going to ride the wave as far as it will take her.

By her own admission, when Bonita returned to her family and her life in the UK she went through a period of depression. She recognised it as a feeling of nostalgia and felt a great loss and loneliness for her team and her Sherpa ‘family’ and, incredibly, she has said that returning to ‘normality’ has been the most pressure she has ever experienced. Bonita says that being home has forced her to reassess who she fundamentally is and her perspective on life has changed beyond belief.

Bonita’s own blog makes for quite compelling reading and it tells the story of a young woman grieving the end of nearly two years’ hard work and the ‘end’ of a dream. For, no matter how happy the ending of Bonita’s fairytale, the reality of it is that it is over and it’s now time to move on to the next challenge.

One such challenge Bonita has taken on is somewhat more glamorous than hanging out with the team at Everest Base Camp. Conquer the highest mountain in the world and, whether you like it or not, you become something of a role model. It is for this reason (apart from her stunning good looks) that Bonita has been selected as the face and spokesperson of the new Nissan ‘Juke’ campaign. Nissan says that they chose Bonita because, “we opted for someone who represents genuine achievement and embodies the values of the car.”

Bonita’s warning to others who have the same dream to reach the summit of Everest is to do it; but for the right reasons. She reports being shocked at people who called their trek ‘purgatory’ and felt that if they did not reach the summit their lives would not be able to move forward. About her own reasons for persevering with what, at times, seemed like an insurmountable task, Bonita says that Everest awakened something inside her. From the moment the idea entered her head, the mountain has never stopped inspiring her and giving her a reason to work harder and strive to be the best in her own life.

For those who feel inspired to take on a challenge like Bonita’s, there are easier ways than actually summiting the great mountain. An Everest Base Camp trek can be just as rewarding and is a much more accessible dream than attempting to continue the gruelling, and sometimes dangerous, journey to the top. There will always be those amongst us who feel the need to conquer a mountain; but remember Bonita’s advice and do it for yourself, not just because it’s there…

Author Bio: Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have run the trek to Everest Base Camp for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.

Category: Travel
Keywords: Everest Base Camp