Hannah Shields
First woman from N. Ireland to summit Mount Everest
She was the first woman from N. Ireland to summit Mount Everest in May 2007. This achievement was reported widely in the media earning public statements of praise from political and community leaders.
She began her career as a maxillofacial surgeon and then proceeded to work in numerous dentist disciplines before finishing as a general dental practitioner, specializing in Orthodontics.
Hannah’s achievement on Everest had not come easily, in May 2003, Hannah climbed the south side of the mountain with the Irish Everest Expedition. She was forced to make the heartbreaking decision to turn back just 100m from the summit due to frostbite injuries. Un-daunted, Hannah returned to the mountain in 2007 to climb from the North side and successfully reached the summit.
Following her first attempt on Everest, Hannah took part in the inaugural Polar Challenge race to the North Magnetic Pole. Racing with Chris Van Tulleken. Their experiences during the race, which included terrifying encounters with predatory Polar Bears, were recorded by the BBC as part of the ‘Challenge’ series. The race organizers were so impressed with Hannah’s enthusiasm and generosity of spirit that they presented her with a special ‘Endeavour Award’. She became the first woman from Ireland to ski to the magnetic North pole.
Hannah only took up running at the age of 34 and has represented her club and country at local and international level, winning national and international medals in a wide range of distances. In her mid 40’s she took- up ultra-marathons and endurance mountain running, competing nationally and internationally and being on the podium for every race, ranging from 50-100mile. The time involved usually between 6-39 hours continuous running.
Approaching her 50th birthday, she took up the multi-disciplinary sports of duathlon and triathlons. Participating in a wide range of distances from sprint to ironman distance races (ironman= 2.5mile open water swim, 118mile bike ride followed by a full distance marathon). She was, again, successful in her new sport, winning national titles in duathlon and every race distance in triathlons. Her success has also resulted, in selection, to represent Ireland at international level.
In April 2011 she was privileged to be honoured by the Nepalese Ambassador as ‘Honorary goodwill ambassador to Nepal’.
My inspiration to achieve my dreams began when watching the lunar landing in the 1960’s. I remember my father and I staring one night at the moon and my father said, If you work hard, anything is possible!. At 11 years old, I bought a poster, of a full moon against bare winter trees with the caption-“Limits Exist Only In Our Minds”, since then that has been my motto.
Never worried about possible rejection, she applied for a BBC series, in November 2016, asking individuals, ‘Astronauts, Do You Have What It Takes?’. Through a rigorous selection process, she was one of 12 exceptional applicants, who were chosen by Astronaut Chris Hadfield and his expert team, to see who has what it takes to go into space. ‘ I recognized that this was an amazing, once in a life time, opportunity, and no matter what the out-come was going to be, I would have no regrets at seizing this chance to chase my dreams.’
A freak accident, in 2019, when training on her bike resulted in life changing injuries that resulted in her having to leave her job as a dentist and then the long hard work in the road to her physical and mental recovery. This is still a work in progress with numerous challenges that have tested her resolve, but she is determined to approach this with positivity and accept each small step, as it is taken.
She continues to live by the ideal of “ Limits Exist Only In Our Minds”.
