Ewuraba - Professional African Women with Class and Style

Best known as the only Black Female High Altitude Mountaineer in the World

"Mountaineering has taught me to remain focused on the end result when it seems like chaos reins. I've climbed through pain, discomfort, doubt, despair, blizzards, snowstorms and I'll continue to do so. It is the quality of our thinking that gives rise to the quality of our performance levels." 

Deshun was a member of the first South African expedition to Mount Everest in 1996 as well as the Discovery one in 2003. Deshun was new to mountaineering when she attempted Everest for the first time, but has since climbed some of the worlds most challenging peaks under the most gruelling conditions. She has been on eleven major expeditions in the past 8 years, reaching a personal record of 8 200m above sea level on Everest's Death Zone. Born in an Eastern Cape township, Deshun  moved to Gauteng with her family when she was 13. At that age she already dreamt of one day climbing Mount Everest and her story is proof that one does not need to be rich to make your dreams come true. 

She was a schoolteacher for five years when her life was "interrupted" by Everest. "Mountaineering offers one a new perspective on one's strengths, weaknesses and your ultimate breaking point. This allows me to apply my practical knowledge, assisting people in using their natural thinking process to push themselves to limits they didn't believe possible. I've pushed myself to unbelievable limits in human endurance and still haven't found my breaking point!"

Professional Background

Deshun Deysel is one of South Africa's top conference speakers and has addressed audiences around the world over the past eleven years. Her company, D Deysel & Associates, is a training and consulting entity and is also associated with Business Presentation Skills (BPS) SA. She is also currently researching performance management in partnership with the Vaal University of Technology and is working towards a Masters Degree in performance management.

She holds a Higher Diploma in Education from Rand College and Rand Afrikaans University and spent five years as a schoolteacher during which time she realised her dream to climb Mt. Everest (in 1996).

Deshun joined the I Can Foundation in 1996 and ran youth development workshops and women's training programmes for two years. She then spent six years with The Pacific Institute SA as a process facilitator and accreditor and also as a conference speaker at The Pacific Institute, USA. Her consulting skills have been honed through interventions with both multinationals and South African Top 100 companies.

In the past 10 years she has been on eleven major mountaineering expeditions, visiting five continents in the process, and reached a personal record of 8 300m above sea level in 2003 in Mount Everest's 'Death Zone'.

She is a recipient of Four Outstanding Young South African's Award (FOYSA) in 1997 and is a Friend and Ambassador for the Laureus Sports for Good Foundation. In addition she is an active honorary member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.

Besides membership of the National Speakers Association of South Africa (NSASA) Deshun is also a member of the Business Women's Association of South Africa (BWASA) and the GIBS Women Empowered Forum.

Among her short term goals are:
to climb the Seven Summits (the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents) over the next 2years.   The program is currently being finalised and begins with Deshun leading an international group of trekkers to Everest Base Camp in April and an expedition to climb Mt Elbrus (Russia) is scheduled for July/August.

Deshun lives in Johannesburg with her 2 adopted cats, Rosie and Nina.

For Audio Podcast of Her Experience in Climbing Mountain Everest - Click to Download or visit podcast.FutureChurch.co.za 

High Altitude Mountaineering History

Deshun has climbed numerous lower altitude mountains but the following list shows only those of 4 500m and higher. 

source:www.deshundeysel.com ; Conference Speakers International;Speakers of Note; podcast.FutureChurch.co.za