GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Holland native has become the first woman ever to climb the second-highest mountain on each continent.
Seven Second Summits, the name of the pursuit, refers to the second-highest peak on each continent.
Jenn Drummond, a business owner and entrepreneur, was in a car accident back in 2018. She tells us first responders said they couldn't imagine a scenario where she came out alive, but she did.
She told FOX 17 that is when she realized you didn't get to choose when you left the earth.
The mom of seven took around one year to recover. She took up hiking, making it her mission to climb a mountain for her 40th birthday.
During that time, her son dared her to hike Mount Everest. She accepted.
Jenn said during her training, her coach upped the ante and proposed she go for a Guinness World Record— becoming the first woman to climb the Seven Second Summits. She accepted again.
She told FOX 17 the pursuit matched her desire to live a life of significance, not just success. Each climb lasts around a month, and there is a chance you don't make it back on each one.
Jenn finished her seventh and final climb last month.
Seven Second Summits:
- Ojos Del Salado (Argentina/Chile, South America) - summited December 2020
- Mount Kenya (Kenya, Africa) - summited February 2021
- Gora Dykh-Tau (Russia, Europe) - summited September 2021
- Mount Tyree (Antartica) - summited January 2022
- K2 (China/Pakistan, Asia) - summited August 2022
- Mt. Townsend (New South Wales, Australia) - summited November 2022
- Mount Logan (Canada, North America) - summited June 2023
While they're called the Seven Second Summits, Jenn said there’s nothing “secondary” about attempting this feat. She said to most mountaineers, these peaks are much more challenging than the traditional seven summits.
Jenn told FOX 17 many have made it their life’s work to attempt to accomplish them all, but rarely are able to do so due to the grueling nature of the pursuit.
She added each of the second summits presents a unique challenge – the same undertaking of high altitude ascents, coupled with less infrastructure and far fewer safety nets that are often associated with the higher mountains that routinely see more climbing traffic.
Her goal in completing the Seven Second Summit was to inspire others to do things they never thought they could do.
To learn more about Jenn Drummond and what she's up to next, click here.
