Lei Wang redefined what she thought was possible. | Photo courtesy of Be Bold Now
This story is from a speech at the recent annual Be Bold Now event, where women discussed leadership and power. Formidable was the media sponsor, and we highlight a new speaker each Friday. Today we’re running excerpts from polar explorer Lei Wang. You can listen to the full speech on the Formidable podcast.
When asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, British mountaineer George Mallory famously said, “Because it’s there.” For polar explorer Lei Wang, it’s more complicated than that.
Wang, a Seattle-area resident, became the first Asian woman and only the fourth-ever to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, among the most demanding adventure challenges in the world. It requires climbing the highest mountain on each continent — known as the seven summits — and skiing to both the North and South poles. Only 73 people have completed the challenge.
Wang, an author, podcast host, executive coach and sought-after keynote speaker, turned to extreme exploration out of a desire to test her limits. She gave up a prestigious job in finance to become a polar explorer.
Here, in Wang’s own words, is her story, edited for length and clarity.
Almost every leader I speak with is always, “How do we keep up?” But the truth is, the biggest risk is not technology. It’s not disruption. It’s that we underperform relative to our own potential.
One night, after a long, exhausting day (in finance) I had a flash of fear. I could see myself in a wheelchair in 10 years. That scared me, and then I came across a mountaineering documentary. I just had this wild daydream, thinking, “What if I go after something totally impossible, like climbing Mount Everest?” Maybe that’ll bring me back to life.
All my colleagues laughed at me. They all had bigger daydreams about conquering the whole world or to go to other planets. My parents were panicking. For me, the question was always, “Am I doing something wrong? Then what is right? Why am I supposed to follow that so-called track of success?”
We don't have enough people who have the courage to be thinking independently, to choose with their own path, follow their own passions. I felt that is my calling, to be courageous, to show the world you don't have to follow expectations. You can define your own path. That motivated me to follow my own heart.
When I finally made it to the base camp on Everest, a student climber looked at me and bitterly said, “Lei, you're not going to make it.” I was not the strongest or the fastest, and halfway through the climb, I developed a lung infection and was sent down. For five days I wondered, “Is this the end of my dream?”
But you don’t need confidence to start. You need courage. Confidence comes after action, but courage says I don’t know if I can do this, but I will step forward anyway. Courage is what leads us to next breakthroughs, to next meaningful steps. That’s why we need to pursue the seemingly impossible.
During those many years of struggling, I was never sure how far I could go. I was recovering from ACL surgery, and one night I almost quit. I called my mentor, and he said, “Go train, show them what's possible.” So, I went out running in the freezing rain, in the dark night, tears mixing with the storm.
As I ran, I realized this climb was never about the summit. It was about becoming the kind of person who keeps climbing when it’s easier to quit. That is what pursuing the seemingly impossible builds in you: Courage. The seemingly impossible is a future version of yourself.
The real question: Who are you bold enough to become?
