Congressman to Honor Alexandria Mountain Climber

Sasha DiGiulian, the first woman to free climb the Magic Mushroom route on the north face of the Eiger and the first American woman to free climb the Eiger, will receive the Clara Mortensen Beyer Women and Children First Award at Congressman Don Beyer’s upcoming conference, Women Driving the Economy.

“I have known Sasha since she was a little girl with big dreams. She is a role model for anyone who has a goal,” Beyer said. “Her accomplishment in Switzerland once again shows when given a chance, women can achieve what men can achieve.”

An Alexandria resident, DiGiulian is a 2011 graduate of the Potomac School in McLean and now attends Columbia University.

“Passion is an important foundation for every individual to possess, though also significant is a fearless ability to pursue whatever that passion may be. It is important for women to recognize that the opinions of others are irrelevant to this task,” DiGiulian said. “Self-confidence and drive surpass any oppositional negativity. I would love to see women join together in this effort to empower each other and to show the world that ‘Yes, She Can.’ ”

While ambassador to Switzerland in 2011, Beyer created the Clara Mortensen Beyer Women and Children First Award. It is named after his grandmother, who is credited with convincing the Roosevelt Administration to appoint Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet Secretary in the United States. Clara Beyer served as Secretary Perkins’ right hand, working on child labor issues. She was the first woman appointed as US representative to the International Labor Organization in Geneva.

The award is given to exceptional women who have made a difference on behalf of women’s empowerment. This year, DiGiulian became the first American woman to tackle one of the world’s toughest ascents, free-climbing in August the north face of the Eiger, a 13,462-foot peak in the Swiss Alps. More than 60 climbers have lost their lives on the north face since it was first summited in 1935.

Sasha is an advocate of pushing beyond perceived boundaries to achieve. She is an inspiration for women, girls, and all Americans. People told her “little girls don’t belong on the Eiger.” She did not listen.

Previous awardees include Ambassador to the United States U.N. Mission in Geneva Betty King, who authored the Millennium Development Goals on Women and Girls, Ruth Gaby Vermot, the founder of “Peace Women,” and Lisa Feldmann, Editor of Annabelle Magazine in Switzerland.

Image courtesy of: @sashadigiulian (via Twitter)