Pauline Sanderson

Pauline Sanderson left the security of a well paid barrister job and social life in London at the age of 30 to retrain as an outdoor instructor in Wales. This lead her to Nepal for lots of adventures and a new career with Equator Expeditions starting as a sales girl for their rafting business and becoming a director and developing the mountaineering and trekking business.

Love and marriage brought Pauline back to the Lakes and a myriad of different jobs before moving to Scotland with her husband to work as the Marketing Manager at Glenmore Lodge, Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre.

This is where she heard about the Everestmax expedition through a promotional flyer she was asked to put on a notice board. Her ability to make things happen meant her husband and boss had no choice but to support her decision to go on this epic overland quest with complete strangers.

Pauline’s biggest challenge ever

At the tender age of 41 Pauline was undertaking her biggest challenge ever. Her positive attitude is contagious which comes across loud and clear in her presentation. There will always be something in the pipeline and it nearly always involves and needs her best friend and husband Phil.

Pauline’s speech is about positive attitude which is equally interesting to both individuals and teams. Her belief that a positive attitude is just as contagious as a negative attitude and her story demonstrates how important each individual takes responsibility for their own attitude and they inevitably effect others

Her speech can be presented purely as entertaining and massively motivational but can easily include a client’s requirement to support or re-enforce one of their company or event messages. Pauline’s presentation can be adapted for most key messages dealing in aspects of teamwork eg common goal, communication, leadership, teamwork etc.

She is the author The World’s Longest Climb and appears regularly in the media. Pauline has also been a guest contributor in various magazines around the world.

The World’s Longest Climb with the Everestmax Team

This is a humorous and touching account about an ordinary woman with an extraordinary story. Her life and experiences with the Everestmax team will inspire, amuse and probably astonish all those who share her journey.

The World’s Longest Climb is a tale of endurance, comedy, culture, tragedy, geography, romance and just a bit of nudity in one epic adventure. In 2006, five individuals who were as diverse in age as they were in life styles were the first ever to undertake the world’s longest climb. Accompanied by a support team of two, the team cycled over 8000km from the Dead Sea in Jordan to the Base Camp of Mt Everest, journeying through Syria, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Nepal in the process. At Base Camp, bikes were exchanged for climbing kit where the team successfully summated the great mountain itself.

The Everestmax team managed to get through a constant barrage of adversity with a surprising amount of hilarity. Extreme weather, bureaucracy, gun toting locals, sharp tooth monkeys, political unrest, soggy crutches and illness are just a few of the things they had to overcome. Pauline explains how the team tackled these various challenges with a big emphasis on positive attitude. They were in situations that they could not control but they always controlled their attitude, which ended up being the secret to their success throughout the six month expedition.

This unprecedented journey took the team through countries and cultures that were deemed ‘anti-western’ yet the audience will be inspired by the great faith demonstrated in human nature regardless of religion or nationality. The team were overwhelmed by the consistent welcome and generosity they experienced in every country.

The presentation also gives an honest and frank insight into Pauline’s views on why she was so driven to take part in such a huge undertaking at an age that society often dismisses as ‘past it’ (aka middle aged).