Masha Gordon

At 31, Masha Gordon couldn’t run five miles. She had spent most of her adult life working behind a desk as a successful businesswoman. It wasn’t until she was on maternity leave that she fell in love with mountaineering. Soon after, the climber, philanthropist and mother of two committed to setting a women’s world record in the Explorers Grand Slam, an endurance challenge to reach the North and South Pole on skis and climb all of the Seven Summits. In June 2016, Gordon accomplished that goal. She also set a world record as the fastest female to climb the Seven Summits, a feat she finished in 238 days. She has since climbed Makalu and Lhotse. Gordon is a founder of GRIT&ROCK, a charity that administers a large pool of expedition grants focused exclusively on women.