By Jacqui Bialocki
When Jen Willis stood on the summit of Mount Everest, there were no fanfares, no dramatic Hollywood moment, and no overwhelming sense of triumph. There was darkness. Bitter cold. Ferocious wind. And a quiet realisation that a dream nearly 50 years in the making had finally come true.
“Everest summit,” her guide called into the night. In that moment, Jen thought of her grandfather, who had given her a small brooch shaped like an ice axe and mountaineering boots when she was a child. The gift ignited a fascination with mountains that would eventually lead her to the highest point on Earth.
For most people, climbing Everest represents the ultimate physical and mental challenge. For Jen, it meant something more. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018, she refused to let the disease dictate her future. Instead, she set herself an audacious goal: become the first Australian living with MS to summit Mount Everest.
Her first attempt in 2023 ended heartbreakingly short of the summit. Returning home without achieving her goal plunged her into what she describes as an emotional abyss. Yet from that disappointment came renewed determination and the inspiration for her upcoming memoir, How Far Would You Go To Find Yourself?
Three years later, she returned to Nepal for unfinished business. Unstable conditions disrupted acclimatisation plans. A virus left her sick for weeks. Meanwhile, the daily realities of living with MS travelled with her every step of the way: fatigue, overheating, bladder dysfunction, and the constant uncertainty of how her body would respond at extreme altitude.
Still, she kept moving. From Camp 4 on the South Col, Jen began her final push to the summit. In temperatures below minus 30C and wind exceeding 50km/h, she climbed through the darkness towards the Balcony, the South Summit, and the Hillary Step.
For hours, her world narrowed to the beam of her head torch, the fixed rope ahead and the next step. Then came the summit. With that final stride, Jen became the first Australian with MS to stand on the world’s highest peak.
The descent proved even harder than the climb. Her corneas froze, severely impairing her vision. Exhausted after more than 26 hours on the move, she battled oxygen shortages, overwhelming fatigue, and treacherous terrain. At one point, she sat on the mountain and cried.
Then she stood up. And took another step. And another. For Jen, that is the true definition of resilience. Not extraordinary strength, but the willingness to keep moving forward when every part of you wants to stop.
Today, she hopes her journey encourages others facing illness, adversity or uncertainty to ask themselves a simple question: “If she can do that, what might I be capable of?” Because Everest was never just about reaching a summit. It was about proving that our limitations are often far smaller than our dreams.
Jen Willis is available for speaking engagements, and her memoir will be released next year. To learn more about her adventures and support MS research, visit jenwillis.com.au
