Tori James

Tori James, at the age of 25, became the youngest British women (at that time) and the first Welsh woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.

She grew up on a farm in Pembrokeshire (West Wales) where she claims to have gathered much of her toughness for venturing outside in all weather. After gaining a degree in Geography from Royal Holloway University, Tori spent three years working for the British Exploring which is based at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in London.

In May 2005 The Pink Lady PoleCats became the first ever all-female team to complete The Polar Challenge, a gruelling 360 mile race to the Magnetic North Pole. In 2010 Tori cycled the length of New Zealand, a total of 2,400km, unsupported from north to south.

In June 2014 Tori was part of the Beeline Britain team who became the first to travel in a straight line from Land’s End to John O’Groats in aid of BLESMA (the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen’s Association). Their 1,100km journey involved sea kayaking, road cycling, mountain biking and hiking. The team set a record for the longest open sea kayak crossing in UK waters kayaking non-stop for 200km from Land’s End to Pembrokeshire.

In November 2014 Tori was awarded a ‘Points of Light’ Award by the Prime Minister in recognition of outstanding volunteering over the last 10 years.

She is a motivational speaker and consultant delivering leadership training, team and youth development projects. Tori is an ambassador for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Wales, Girl Guiding UK and the Visit Wales Year of Adventure 2016.