Youngest US woman to summit Mount Everest realized her passion for mountains in Kentucky
Just 10 days before her high school graduation, Lucy Westlake became the youngest American woman to climb Mount Everest.
At 18 years, 6 months and 8 days old, she broke the previous record of 18 years, 7 months and 9 days old to summit the tallest mountain above sea level in the world.
She reached the top on May 12 at 5:36 a.m. after trekking through the night with only her Sherpa guide, Mingma Chhiring.
The 26-day expedition pushed Westlake physically and mentally. At one point during the trek, Chhiring and Westlake had to retreat down part of the mountain because the winds were too strong.
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"That was a really hard moment for me on the trip," Westlake said. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, is this over?' Nothing is really guaranteed out there."
However, Westlake was able to begin the final ascent on May 11 at 9 p.m. When she reached the summit over eight hours later, she said it felt like a dream.
"I just kept repeating to myself: 'I did it, I did it.' I could not believe it."
The record breaker grew up in Louisville and lived in the city from age 2 to 12. She was back in Louisville on Friday and spoke at WaterStep, an Old Louisville nonprofit that works to spread access to safe water around the world.
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Kentucky beginnings
Westlake's journey to break an earlier record started in Harlan County.
When she was 7, her family made the four-hour drive from Louisville to Lynch for a mission trip.
One day, the Westlake's had free time and decided to go to the highest point in Kentucky — Black Mountain — which was just down the road from where they were staying.
Westlake's mom, Amy, began to research "high pointing "or climbing to the highest point in a given geographic area. From then on, whenever the family was in a new state, it was their mission to get to the high point.
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This was the beginning of a years-long journey that led Westlake to break her first record. At 12, she became the youngest female to climb the high points of the contiguous United States. Then, last year she set another record as the youngest woman to "high point" all 50 states, which she achieved at 17.
Giving back
Westlake is an ambassador for WaterStep, an organization that aims to assist communities to establish long-term water solutions. This includes training people to install and repair equipment and educate them about health and disease transmission.
When Westlake was 2, her family packed a shoebox full of gifts for Operation Christian Child through the Samaritan's Purse, a Christian-based international relief organization. It was randomly sent to a family in Uganda who had a daughter close in age to Westlake, named Faith. The families connected and for years, the Westlake and Faith became pen pals.
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When Westlake was about 10, she was stunned to learn from Faith that her village did not have safe water. She wanted to go to Africa to help.
When WaterStep came to speak at the Westlake's church, Middletown Christian Church, she saw her chance.
"We need to get this to Uganda to Faith and her family," Westlake told her mother.
After that, she learned how to install a water filter. When she was 12, she went to Uganda, met her pen pal in person and helped install a water filter in Faith's town. While she was in Africa, she furthered her other passion and summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Now, Westlake is an ambassador for the Louisville-based nonprofit.
Mark Hogg, the founder and CEO of WaterStep, said having Westlake involved with them is an inspiration.
"Lucy is shouting from the highest parts in the world that 'this is the worst problem that the world is facing: people not having access to clean water,'" he said. "Less kids died today than yesterday because of her voice."
Although she moved with her family to Illinois in 2016, Westlake said she has never stopped promoting Louisville's WaterStep. Earlier this year, she went on a trip with the organization to Kenya and back to Uganda, where she helped repair the filter she installed years ago. Not only that, but she got to reunite with her old friend again.
Looking forward
Westlake will begin college this fall at the University of Southern California, where she will study public policy and social entrepreneurship. She will run cross country and track for the school, too.
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While she said school and running will be her main priority, she is not ready to stop climbing or breaking world records.
Westlake has her sights set on the Explorer's Grand Slam, which is a challenge to climb to the highest mountain on every continent plus going to the North and South Poles.
She needs to climb Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, Mount Vinson in Antarctica and visit both poles. To beat the record, she has until sometime in 2023 or 2024, when she will be 20. Right now, Marin Minamiya holds the record, which she completed in 2017, according to the Explorer's Grand Slam website.
Even if Westlake does not become the youngest person to complete the Explorer's Grand Slam, she won't let that stop her from completing her goals.
"I don't need the record. I just love being in the mountains," she said.
She hopes that through her achievements, she able to show other women and girls that they belong in mountaineering spaces, too.
"The mountains should be for everyone who loves them," Westlake said. "If young girls and women see other people like them, who aren't huge and strong and buff, they'll realize 'Oh, I can do that too."
Reach news intern Eleanor McCrary at EMcCrary@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: The youngest U.S. woman to summit Mount Everest grew up in Louisville
