Celebrating Achievements and Values This Everest Day

'Image courtesy Royal Geographic Society (with IGB)'

This Everest Day, 29 May 2023, marks the 70th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay being the first people to reach the summit of Mt Everest. It was a huge achievement that at the time signified to the world that the seemingly impossible is in fact possible. Earlier this year at the Hillary Institute & EHF’s New Expedition event Sir Edmund’s son Peter Hillary acknowledged the significance of this anniversary, in a video message sent from Antarctica, saying:

“[Marking this anniversary] is about more than commemorating a climb to the highest peak on planet Earth. It’s about human aspiration; human capability. [This was an] event that stretched our sense of what we are able to achieve. Of course, the first to go anywhere are always going into the unknown. And that’s what my father and Tenzing achieved back on 29 May 1953.”

Sir Ed lived a life of giving back, of service to others; a life filled with integrity, modesty, and determination. In 2007, the Hillary Institute was created to honour Sir Ed’s extraordinary legacy of leadership, selecting one Hillary Laureate annually who also embodied the humanitarian commitment of Sir Ed. It was a proposition that Hillary Institute Founder and Kaitiaki (Guardian) Mark Prain recalls Sir Ed embraced with vigour and enthusiasm, saying that “he graciously accepted the strength and ambition of the idea”. Mark Prain also had the privilege of working closely with Sir Ed to ensure the resonance of his values was deeply rooted in the Laureate programme. Sadly, Sir Ed passed away a year after the launch of the Hillary Institute. His legacy vibrantly lives on through the extraordinary work of the 11 Hillary Laureates, and in recent years, the remarkable purpose-driven community of the 500+ Edmund Hillary Fellowship Fellows from around the globe.

When reflecting, on this significant anniversary, about how the Laureates and Fellows honour the legacy of Sir Ed, Mark Prain comments:

“The inherent values of respect, humility, tenacious leadership, bold ambition and humanitarian service, which were so core to Sir Ed’s wairua (spirit) and hands-on pragmatism, are resonant in the way both the Laureates and the Fellows go about their mahi (work). The challenges and opportunities we face right now require us all to get involved and play our part. If we succeed in galvanising that level of action individually and collectively, the future will be one of ‘win-wins’.”

For EHF Fellow, Shay Wright (cohort Iti Rearea) it is the correlation between kaupapa Māori values and the values that Sir Ed exemplified that motivates him. Shay comments:

“People like Sir Edmund Hillary are remembered and celebrated not just because of what they did, but how they did it. They are remembered for who they were as a person.  And that's why 'values’ are so important. They are the steering oar that navigates us through relationships and challenging situations. The values that Sir Ed demonstrated also express kaupapa Māori values. Standing on the shoulders of these giants and reflecting on the great legacies of our tūpuna, while the times and context changes, the values remain eternal, and we can demonstrate them in the work that we do, in the relationships that we keep, and in the organisations that we lead. That is what it means to be a good ancestor.”

As children, Tashi and Nungshi Malik (EHF Fellows, cohort Kohia) learned about Sir Edmund and Tenzing through their school books, and from there awoke an idolisation and intrigue about Sir Ed and mountaineering. They recall their first ‘expedition’ at 5 years old, to a church atop some 200m-high mound in India’s southern city of Chennai, called St Thomas Mount. With their father cheering them on as they reached the church compound, the twins asked him if they had climbed nearly as high as Mt Everest, and whether they were as good as Sir Edmund Hillary. Fast-forward to 19 May 2013, Tashi and Nungshi were the first twin sisters to scale Mount Everest. Not only inspired by Sir Ed’s exceptional climbing achievements, the Malik twins were most impressed with his “outstanding human qualities of integrity, modesty, determination and service to others”. 

EHF Fellows Nungshi and Tashi Malik - the twin sisters to summit Mt Everest

When asked about the inspiration they take from the values of Sir Ed, Tashi and Nungshi comment:  

“The values of Sir Ed resonate so much with the evolving values in our life, based on our own unique experiences. One of the most profound and everlasting gifts of mountaineering to us is humility. Sir Ed's famed quote ‘we don’t conquer the mountain but ourselves’ reflects deep humility, self-awareness and pursuit of excellence. Humility has also motivated us to give back in ample measure and strengthen the virtuous cycle in our world. Another quality Sir Ed is known for worldover is his tenacious persistence and perseverance. This is exactly the secret that has led us to our own goals; we are aware that our strength lies solely in our tenacity. And like that of Sir Ed, our actions and dreams are largely guided by the understanding that ‘we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

At the May Welcome Experience, several Ngaa Reo Wheko Fellows shared which of Sir Ed’s values resonate with them. For Fellow Christine Moon, it is the values of humility and respect. Christine comments:

“Yes, Sir Edmund is famous for climbing Mt Everest, but he would always ensure that it was known that he didn’t do it alone. His humility and respect towards his co-climber [Tenzing Norgay] is honourable. I’m inspired by these qualities and I try to embody these in my life through taking care of others. I remind myself that it's not always about being a go-getter; it’s about being present, introspective and aware of the wider purpose. It’s not the destination but the journey that is important.”

It was the tenacity that Sir Ed demonstrated that roused inspiration for Fellows Michael Sims and Thiago Canellas. Michael comments:

“Tenacity is the single most important perimeter in getting things done. Creating impact and change doesn’t come easily, and it takes a lot of work and a lot of struggle; but like Sir Ed showed, tenacity is commitment to a goal and keeping at it until it works.”

Thiago comments:

“You have to have tenacity to pursue anything that is worthwhile, but at the same time you have to have your mind open to recognise if you’re going in the wrong direction. So it’s always a balance of choosing to move forward, but changing direction if you need to. That’s the movement of life, and you have to be tenacious to keep on moving. Sir Edmund showed us the way when he didn’t give up despite the challenges of the mountain. He found a way around the tough parts and made it happen.”

EHF Fellow Mike Hart

One of the most compelling chapters of Sir Ed’s connection to Mt Everest, and one that is perhaps less known, is his quest to find the elusive Yeti. Sir Ed’s frequent visits to the region ignited his interest in the mysteries and folklore of the Himalayas, eventually leading him to conceptualise the ‘Daily Mail Abominable Snowman Expedition’ of 1958. In 2020, Fellow Mike Hart (Cohort Kohia) fortuitously came into possession of Sir Ed's detailed budget and meticulously planned itinerary for the expedition. He reached out to the Hillary family to seek their counsel on the best way to utilise and honour this valuable piece of history. As an accomplished historian, Sarah Hillary (Sir Ed’s daughter) proposed that the documents be added to the Hillary Archive at the Auckland Museum, an honour reserved for a select few pieces of New Zealand's heritage. Reflecting on how Sir Ed’s legacy lives on through his family, and also through the purpose-led work of the EHF Fellows, Mike comments:

“In the years that followed his monumental achievement of conquering Mt Everest, Sir Ed and his family devoted their efforts to humanitarian endeavours for the people of Nepal, as exemplified by their involvement with the Himalayan Trust. The selflessness and commitment to New Zealand exhibited by the Hillary family is also nothing short of inspiring. I agreed that donating the documents was the appropriate course; and it is my hope that these contributions will shine a light on the multifaceted persona of Sir Edmund Hillary and honour the legacy of our extraordinary organisation named after him.”

With thanks to Mark Prain, Peter Hillary, Shay Wright, Mike Hart, Tashi and Nungshi Malik, Christine Moon, Michael Sims and Thiago Canellas for their contributions to this story. 

Find out more about how to support the Himalayan Trust and the ongoing legacy of Sir Ed’s life work to provide better health and eduction for remote communities of Nepal at the Himalayan Trust website.

EHF Fellows Janine Edge and Sarah Grant with EHF Community Activator Erica Austin in front of Christchurch’s Sir Edmund Hillary mural.