Everest Wahine

Getting Holly to Everest

Holly Beckham's life has been a relentless climb — through 19 years of addiction, childhood sexual abuse, multiple overdoses, and suicide attempts. After battling PTSD, depression, and BPD, Holly has emerged as a symbol of strength and recovery.

Now she stands at the base of a new, monumental challenge: summiting Mount Everest/Sagarmāthā.

Holly isn't just aiming for the top — she's on a mission to make history as the first wahine Māori to reach the summit, carrying the Tino Rangatiratanga flag with her. It's a flag that embodies her journey, celebrating triumph over adversity and symbolising hope for whānau battling addiction, and honouring those we've lost.

She's already proven she has what it takes. The documentary Te Ara (Greenstone and Bloom Pictures) followed her 2023 climb of Mt Aspiring/Tititea. In 2024, under the mentorship of Lydia Bradey the first woman to summit Everest without supplementary oxygen , Holly completed three 6,000m+ acclimatisation climbs in the Himalayas — Lobuche East (6,145m), Island Peak (6,189m), and Mera Peak (6,476m). And in 2025, she traversed the Remarkables with mountain guide Dean Staples, building the technical rope and rock climbing skills Everest demands.

Everest is the next step — but it's also a massive financial undertaking, between permits, guiding fees, equipment, and months of preparation. Every donation, big or small, brings Holly closer to the summit. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Please see Holly's previous Givealittle page here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/everest-wahine