UPEI alumna climbing her way to the top
By the time Virginia Arsenault was six years old, she dreamt of climbing Mount Everest. Her school books and bedroom were plastered with posters and photos of Mount Everest, K2, and Denali-some of the world's tallest peaks.
But at age thirteen, Arsenault's dreams of climbing seemed remote when she was told her right kidney was no longer functioning and needed to be removed. Shortly after her fourteenth birthday, doctors removed the damaged kidney, and thankfully, Arsenault's left kidney was working at full capacity both before and after the surgery. Having experienced something so life-changing at such a young age, she knew she had to do more to help those in similar situations.
In May 2009, while studying arts at the University of Prince Edward Island, Arsenault became an avid volunteer with the PEI chapter of the Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC), where she helped organize such events as door-to-door campaigns, walkathons, and carnivals. She also worked as a summer student and coordinator of the KFOC's PEI Chapter from 2009-11. Although she was fulfilling a dream of giving back to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, her dream of becoming a mountaineer remained unfulfilled.
That summer, Arsenault decided to take the first step toward making climbing a reality. She joined an expedition to Island Peak, a 6189-metre-high mountain in the Himalayas, considered to be a great climb for beginners. In May 2010, Arsenault arrived in Nepal where she began her trek out of the small village of Lukla. For three weeks, she found herself surrounded by Himalayan giants such as Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and even had the opportunity to hike up Gokyo Ri, a small peak by Himalayan standards, but at 5257 metres, higher than most mountains in Canada.
Arsenault described standing on the summit of Gokyo Ri as the best moment of her life as she watched the sun rise over Mount Everest and the other peaks. 'Standing on the summit of Gokyo Ri literally took my breath away; it was a surreal experience,' she said. The group was unable to reach Island Peak because a storm system had moved over the Everest region. 'Although I wasn't able to climb Island Peak, I still feel like my expedition was a success as the experience truly affirmed my love for the mountains and my drive to climb the world's tallest mountains,' she added.
Arsenault continued climbing in 2010, climbing Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America. During her Christmas holidays, she flew to Argentina and joined five other mountaineers in an attempt to climb one of the famous Seven Summits. The group managed to summit a neighbouring peak, Cerro Bonete, but unfortunately a few days later, a raging blizzard and lightning storm forced the group to descend the mountain, halting their journey to reach Aconcagua's summit.
'Though I still long to return to Aconcagua and attempt to reach the summit of the Americas one day, I knew I had to first return to the Himalayas-the mountains that I had completely fallen in love with,' said Arsenault. 'I also decided that I wanted to combine my passion for mountains with another passion-helping others with kidney disease. So my upcoming trip will be a fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation of Canada.'
Arsenault hopes to raise awareness about the work of the Kidney Foundation along with funds, as she climbs Island Peak, Lobuche East (6119 m) and Chukung Ri (5565 m). From September 15-October 14, she will be joining a group of mountaineers in her quest to climb some of the most spectacular mountains in the world.
Arsenault graduated from UPEI in May 2012 at the top of her class, receiving the Ambrose Kwok-Yau Lee Award and the UPEI Alumni Association Prize. She is currently working on her honours thesis in history with a focus on the French Resistance in the Second World War and expects to complete it by April 2013.
