Last Thursday seven members of Full Circle Everest -- the first all-Black team of climbers to attempt to summit Mount Everest -- successfully reached the mountain's top. These include Manoah Ainuu (Professional Climber for The North Face), Eddie Taylor, Rosemary Saal, Demond “Dom” Mullins, Thomas Moore, James “KG” Kagami, and Evan Green.
Backed by The North Face and VF Foundation, Full Circle Everest has officially made history as the first all-black climbing team to reach the world's highest peak. In fact, the team's success doubles the number of Black climbers who have ever summited Mount Everest. Overall, the group's historic effort intends to highlight the barriers that face Black communities while inspiring these same groups to take on new challenges and chase their own "personal summits."
“Black role models help make the sport more inclusive,” said Fred Campbell, team member and athlete for The North Face. “Climbing and adventure are incredibly fun and if Black role models help convince someone somewhere to give it a shot I think that’s a positive thing.”
Image Credit: The North Face and Full Circle Everest
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Diversity in Adventure Sports
- The success of Full Circle Everest highlights the potential for diverse teams to excel in traditionally homogenous adventure sports.
- Representation in Sponsorship
- Sponsorship from companies such as The North Face and VF Foundation are key in providing underrepresented communities with the resources and support required for participation in adventure sports.
- Inspiring Personal Challenge
- The Full Circle Everest team's message of chasing personal summits can inspire individuals to take on new challenges and pursue their goals, regardless of their background or circumstance.
Sectors Adopting This
- Adventure Sports
- The success of Full Circle Everest highlights an opportunity for adventure sports companies to actively work towards increasing diversity and breaking down barriers for underrepresented groups.
- Sporting Goods
- Sponsorship from companies like The North Face and VF Foundation can be pivotal in advocating for and supporting diversity in adventure sports, and opportunities exist for similarly minded sporting goods brands to follow suit.
- Marketing and Communications
- Marketing campaigns that highlight diversity, like the Full Circle Everest team's historic achievement, can encourage underrepresented populations to participate in adventure sports while helping to shift the public perception of who adventure sports are for.
