Such Great Heights
By Nicole Davis
When I met Annabelle Bond seven years ago, casually through mutual friends, I thought she was either a drop-in from another planet or a pathological liar. Here was this woman, with the last name “Bond” and the smoldering looks and British accent to go with it, who nonchalantly mentioned she had spent the past year climbing the “Seven Summits”. It came so out of left field that it took me a moment to register what she actually said. I finally understood that she had climbed the tallest peak on each of the seven continents in just under a year. To further my disbelief I learned she was the only woman in the world to have completed that feat and still holds that record today. At the time she completed the challenge (2005) she was the fourth fastest person in the world to ever do so.
Bond wasn’t technically destined to climb the Seven Summits. Her entry into the world of competitive fitness began in 2001, only three years prior to her Seven Summits climb, when she started competing as an endurance runner while living in Hong Kong. Initially, running was more of a hobby for her and served as an outlet for her demanding job at an international real estate firm.
The year of her Seven Summits challenge, Bond teamed up with climbers from all over the world – most notably the Chilean mountain climbing team who made her ascent up Everest possible. Through the journey, she connected deeply with the cultures tied to each continent that makes up our global family. While growing up, Bond was always internationally connected. She was born in Singapore, raised in Hong Kong with familial roots in the UK. Over the years she has also lived and worked in the United States, Indonesia, and Switzerland. Having once described herself as someone who “didn’t think she could run for more than an hour” Bond took her passion for endurance running to the next level when she began competing in races through desert terrain. The last race she completed took her anywhere from 10-50 miles each day over a seven day period through the Sahara desert.
In the tradition of Action Heroes, Annabelle climbs and runs for a cause. Her Seven Summits climb raised over 1.6 million USD for the nonprofit organization Eve Appeal, which specializes in the prevention of Ovarian Cancer. For this she received the honorary title “Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)” from Queen Elizabeth.
Beyond the money she raised, the records she broke and the accolades she earned – Annabelle explored what it means to be heroic and to rise above what seems impossible to overcome. We caught back up with Annabelle who is now living again in Hong Kong with her daughter Isabella to reflect on her amazing journey and what it takes to find the hero within.
Red Flag Magazine: When did the idea come to mind to climb the Seven Summits and when you came up with the idea did you think you would actually do it?
Annabelle Bond: The first mountain I ever climbed was Aconcagua in Argentina in December 2001. I had spent the previous 5 years competing in ultra marathons in Hong Kong where I was living. I loved competing in the heat and humidity. I hate the cold and I am terrified of heights so to climb Aconcagua was a big achievement for me! After that climb the thought of climbing the seven summits came to me, but I did not think I was capable of climbing Everest. Then towards the end of 2003 I got an opportunity to join a Chilean team that was going to Everest. I took the opportunity seriously and went off to climb my second peak in Ecuador with the Chilean team. Once I had proved I could climb I was more formally invited to the 2004 Chilean Everest Expedition. We climbed 7 more peaks above 6,000 meters before I left for Everest, I credit my Chilean team for getting me prepared to climb Everest and I am forever indebted to Andronico Luksic for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime and for making my dreams a reality.
RFM: Was there a moment during that year you climbed the summits when you felt you might need to give up?
AB: Never for one moment would I have given up. Although there was a close call on my last summit on Denali (McKinley) when we left for the summit in bad weather. After 6 hours of climbing it was apparent that we weren’t really sure of where we were. It just didn’t feel right so I made the very brave ( I thought!) decision to turn around and go back to camp. I was so upset as this was my last of the seven summits and I desperately needed to break the year. Luckily the next day was a Bluebird day so I reached the summit of Denali on 10th May 2005 making my completion of the Seven Summits in 360 days.
RFM: Out of all the Seven Summits is there one mountain that really captured your heart?
AB: It has to be Everest. I battled so many personal demons on that mountain especially having to address my fear of heights on a daily basis in the Khumbu Icefall. Crossing the crevasses on the rickety ladders over drops where you cannot see the bottom was a big challenge for me. It took so much from me to reach the summit of Everest and it will always be in my heart as my biggest accomplishment in my life aside from having my daughter. I judged the toughness of the climbs by whether I cried on the summit and I cried on Everest, Vinson and Denali!!!
RFM: Can you share a memory or two from the whole experience that stands out?
AB: There were so many incredible moments during my experience that stand out. The people that I was with were so amazing and some of the scenery that I saw is Mother Earth at her most spectacular. Antarctica was like a winter wonderland and it was nice to go somewhere in the world that actually felt remote. I spent 5 months of the year that I was climbing in a tent so I had a whole variety of experiences – laughter, tears, terror, friendships, drama, and peace. That year will be a treasured memory as long as I live. Luckily, I captured a lot on video so my daughter can see what I did one day.
RFM: Is there a difference between the strength and endurance you need to reach a summit in comparison to completing a long distance desert run?
AB: Not really. You do need that same strength and endurance in the deserts as you do in the mountains. In the deserts it is about coping with a 48 centigrade heat without a breath of wind and still having to run a marathon or two in one day. Running in deep sand in those temperatures is extremely challenging. In the mountains it is about dealing with a variety of weather, mostly cold. The most important part of mountaineering is that physiologically you are able to go to altitude. Most people in the world struggle at 16,000 feet or lower. It all boils down to having a steely determination and mental discipline that keeps you going especially when you are in pain. Its knowing your body is capable of so much more and making yourself push through the pain barriers.
RFM: You described yourself as “a woman who once thought she couldn’t run for more than an hour” – this was just before you accomplished your first uphill marathon. Many of us feel that way metaphorically when facing obstacles and seemingly unattainable goals. What would be your advice on breaking through that veil of limitation?
AB: As I have become a little older and wiser I think it is all about confidence and positivity. Everyone can run for more than an hour but you have to have the right mindset. It’s the way you program the thought process in your head. The mind is a very powerful weapon and you need to be able to control your mind. I never thought I could climb Everest because of my fear of heights and yet I did. I trained myself to be able to run 20 hours without stopping. Was it fun? No! Not at the time. But when you achieve a goal that you have set yourself it is the most amazing feeling of empowerment that one can ever imagine. I am sure it is the same applied to a job, or painting a picture or writing a book. Every single one of us is able to do whatever goal you want to do – if you put your mind to it. The human body is capable of amazing things and it is about using them to your advantage and getting what you want in life.
RFM: You’ve been raised and resided all over the world. Has this expanded your sense of being a part of and accountable to a global community?
AB: I value the experiences I have been privileged enough to have had by living abroad. I was raised mostly in Hong Kong but lived in Singapore, Jakarta, U.S.A, U.K. and Switzerland. It has been amazing watching Hong Kong become the buzzing metropolis that it is. China is booming and I have huge respect for the work ethic out East. I love being exposed to different cultures and I am ensuring that my 4-year-old daughter has exactly the same cultural experiences that I had when I was raised.
RFM: Your expedition raised funds for The Eve Appeal. Can you share your personal connection to the charity?
AB: I always fundraise for The Eve Appeal in anything that I partake in – the Seven Summits, running a 250km Marathon across Namibia and one across the Sahara Desert. I was very inspired by the founding couples love for each other as he set up the Eve Appeal to try and find a way to save his wife as she battled Ovarian Cancer. I went to hospitals and I looked at different cancers under a microscope. It was fascinating speaking to the doctors about trying to find a cure. Then on my last training climb down in Chile I went to the doctor about a persisting problem that a doctor in the UK had told me to ignore. They operated on me a month prior to my departure to Everest and removed a tumor from my Uterus. I was one of the lucky ones. It was benign, but it made me even more passionate about women being vigilant about getting screened as ovarian cancer is a preventative cancer and if caught early fully survivable.
RFM: Is there a cause that you are passionate about now that you would climb the Seven Summits for if you were to do it all over again?
AB: I do a lot of speaking at schools at the moment. I think it is so important for the children of today to have goals and to be proactive. I think it is very important for there to be an element of competition in schools both in sport and work. You always have to strive to be the best and a little bit of healthy competition is always a good incentive. I worked with the Star School Program in South Africa which educates children about AIDS. These children moved me so much. They walk in blazing heat 2 hours each way just to go to school. I look at some children who take their education for granted and I think back to how keen the children in South Africa were just to get to school and that makes me upset. An education is the best gift a parent can give to a child and it’s all about taking every opportunity that comes your way and running with it. I would climb again for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation as I am an ambassador and huge supporter of what they do.
RFM: What’s your life like now? Can you describe your typical day?
AB: I am a single mother to my daughter Isabella Bond. I had her late in life so right now I am devoted to making her life, happy, fun, goal-orientated, sporty and multi-cultural…She is an amazing little girl and brings me such joy.
I wake up and do my morning sit ups! I have a healthy breakfast with Isabella and then I take her to school each morning with all her friends. After drop off I go and run about for an hour and a half around the trails of Hong Kong. I like to keep my fitness at a level where if I need to suddenly do a race or an expedition I have a good fitness base from which to work from. I usually lunch with friends on Monday and Friday and the other days I have lunch with Isabella. I spend the afternoon taking Isabella to all her activities. She does tennis, swimming, ballet and football! When I have any spare time I am working on writing a lifestyle book about what to eat and what basic exercises to do to keep you in great shape. It’s all about keeping your metabolism fast. I hope women will reference my book and not try and “diet”. I do not believe in diets! I am hoping for that to be out sometime soon!! Isabella’s diet is extremely healthy, I think nutrition and exercise are very important in a child’s life. I make her read books too and time on a computer is very limited.
RFM: What’s your next big adventure?
AB: For the first time in ages I don’t have a big adventure on the horizon. I have lots of local running races I can do as part of the Action Asia Events series. They take place all over Asia and are brilliantly organized and fun. My Chilean team is going back to Nepal to climb Shishapagma soon – another 8,000 meter peak would be tempting!!