Dierdre Wolownick, Speaker | El Capitan Climber, Language Professor

Dierdre Wolownick

Speaker, El Capitan Conqueror, Language Professor And Motivator

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Sacramento

On her 70th birthday, Alex Honnold’s mom became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan, learn how Dierdre Wolownick beat the odds.

Dierdre Wolownick | Speaker Biography

Oldest woman to climb El Capitan at age 66

Respected linguist professor and orchestra conductor

Author and motivational speaker

If you're the mom of Alex Honnold - the world's most famous solo mountain ascender - you'd think it would be a nervy existence spent looking up the side of a mountain watching your son. Not so for Deirdre Wolownick, who, at the age of 66 joined Alex on a mountain ascent and became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan in Yosemite. Her 3,000-foot climbing achievement took immense courage, stamina and not to mention a good head for heights - it also showed that no matter what you do or how old you are, the courage to scale the impossible is within all of us. When not conquering El Capitan, Deirdre is a seasoned and respected linguist professor, orchestra conductor, author and captivating motivational speaker.

Why Should You Book Dierdre Wolownick?

Booking Deirdre Wolownick will inspire your team or business with the living proof that age and conventional limits are no barrier to achieving the extraordinary. Her unique journey, from linguistics professor and orchestra conductor to record-setting climber, embodies resilience, adaptability, and the power of embracing challenges. Deirdre's captivating storytelling will not only motivate but also provide practical insights into overcoming personal and professional obstacles, making her an invaluable asset to any event.

Adventurer

Explorer

Inspirational Female

Featured Sessions

Everything Worthwhile Starts With A Dream

It's never too late to climb that mountain. In her 40s, Dierdre taught herself to swim. In her 50s, she took up running. Then, at 60, she became a rock climber — and not just any rock climber. At the age of 66, Dierdre made a record-breaking ascent up El Capitan, Yosemite National Park’s granite monolith that has some of the longest, most challenging rock climbing routes in the world. And she did it in style. The route she tackled then, Lurking Fear, typically takes four days to complete. Dierdre did it in one. Dierdre's inspiring story shows that human beings can do practically anything when we put our mind to it. Book in a session with Dierdre and be inspired today to make a better tomorrow.

How To Succeed — At Anything

Learn to break down that daydream in the back of your mind into easily-achievable ‘baby steps’ organised in a way that inevitably allows you to make it a reality. Go ahead: dream big! Or Even have the audacity to go after multiple dreams — as the Deirdre has done.

The Secret Key To Success

The difference between success and failure may not be what you think. Money, fame or accolades have nothing to do with it. Successfully realising your professional or personal objectives is a simple matter if you base your approach on this simple definition and proceed accordingly.

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