Adventurer: You decide whether it’s day one or one day

KUALA LUMPUR: When she was 17, Marin Minamiya (pic) had lofty dreams of conquering Mount Everest. By the time she was 20, she had not only stood on the peak of the world’s tallest mountain, but also became the youngest person to complete “The Explorer’s Grand Slam”.

The Explorer’s Grand Slam refers to the feat of climbing the highest summits in each of the seven continents, as well as reaching both the North and South Poles.

Minamiya, now 22, had a lot of detractors who told her that she would not be able to do it.

But this did not distract Minamiya, who had to deal with many other unpleasant circumstances.

“I’m so glad I took that step forward. That’s when you decide for yourself whether it’s day one or one day,” she said during a talk at ZafigoX, an annual event dedicated to female empowerment and travel.

ZafigoX is the brainchild of Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, who is also the founder of Zafigo.com.

Minamiya’s first major summit was Mount Aconcagua in Argentina in 2015, which was sponsored by an elderly Japanese lady who read about her dreams in a newspaper.

Minamiya then received the support of Japanese clothing company Uniqlo, which made her their first global female brand ambassador.

Minamiya, who lived in Johor Baru for four years as a child, plans to sail around the world one day, having made a return trip by sailboat from Cape Town in South Africa to Madagascar in 60 days.

“We are all climbers ... we are all also sailors because you are steering the course of your life. Please take charge of your steering wheel. Be the architect of your life,” she said.