01
Africa
Kilimanjaro
September 2026
One climber · Seven continents
At just 21 years old, Molly Turnbull is taking on one of the greatest challenges in mountaineering: to stand on the highest point of every continent on Earth. It is a gruelling journey across all seven continents from the brutal ice of Antarctica to the thin, unforgiving air of Mount Everest — the highest point on our planet at 8,849 metres. A graduate of the Scottish-based charity The Polar Academy, which transformed her life, Molly is taking on the world's most formidable peaks to shine a light on its work and to show that courage and sheer determination can carry an ordinary young woman to extraordinary heights. This is her journey.
About
Hi! I'm Molly, a 21-year-old mountaineer from Freuchie in Fife. When I was only 14 years old, I was selected to join The Polar Academy. This Scottish youth charity seeks out “invisible” kids — teenagers who have quietly withdrawn from the world and lost all belief in themselves. They are the young people who sit at the back of the class and go unnoticed, who have been worn down by years of bullying, isolation or struggles with their confidence and mental health, until they feel unseen and convinced they have nothing to offer. After years of bullying, I was timid, terrified and afraid to show myself to the world. I was invisible. After undergoing their intensive training programme for two years (widely considered the most rigorous youth training programme in Europe), I went on to take part in an extreme expedition and my passion for adventure thrived. Through my experience, I found a love of exploration and the outdoors but, most importantly, I realised the necessity of overcoming challenges in life. In 2023, aged 18, I trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp to raise funds for The Polar Academy with Kae Tinto, a Patron and Trustee. I wanted to give something back. Together we saw Mt. Everest with our own eyes for the very first time and while standing there looking up at the highest point on Earth, I decided that one day I would climb it.
After that adventure, I won Young Scot of the Year 2023, an award which recognises resilience and dedication in supporting other young people to overcome adversity.
In the years since, as I have kept climbing and begun my university degree, my dream has grown into a far bigger challenge. Not only do I want to summit Mt. Everest… but also the highest peak on every other continent too.
The Seven Summits Challenge is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. I am determined to show that with the right preparation, support and stubbornness, a young woman from a small village in Fife can take on the toughest mountains on the planet and inspire others to believe that what might be perceived as impossible is achievable. This challenge is not only about the mountains, but about using them as a platform to raise awareness and represent the incredible work of The Polar Academy. A charity which changed my life.
— Molly
The Challenge
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Only a few hundred people have ever completed the full set and far fewer have done it this young. If Molly succeeds, she hopes to become the youngest Scot and one of the youngest people ever to complete the challenge. Here's the route ahead.
Each summit brings its own test: the thin air and technical ridges of Everest, the relentless altitude of Aconcagua, the brutal cold of Denali and the unpredictable weather of Vinson. Between expeditions come long months of relentless physical and mental training, fundraising and painstaking logistics: securing permits, booking flights, arranging guides and gathering the specialist equipment each mountain demands. Every summit is earned as much in the preparation as on the peak itself.
The journey begins on Kilimanjaro in September 2026 and builds, summit by summit, to the ultimate goal: Everest in May 2029. Seven peaks in under three years.
This page will grow into a living tracker. As each mountain is climbed, its card will be marked Summited, so you can follow the progress in real time from base camp to the final peak.
Seven peaks, seven continents, in under three years, with the hope of becoming the youngest Scot to complete the set.
In partnership with
The Polar Academy is a Scottish charity on a mission to transform the lives of young people who feel invisible and who have significant mental health issues. Each year it selects teenagers who have lost their confidence and self-belief, and puts them through ten months of gruelling physical and mental training before leading them on a genuine expedition across the frozen Arctic. They come home transformed. They stand taller and braver and more sure of their own worth than ever before. They go on to inspire thousands of their peers with what they have achieved. Its guiding belief is simple but profound: Inspiration through Exploration.
Molly is a graduate of that programme. It handed her back her self-belief and set her on the path to the mountains. Her Seven Summits challenge is her way of giving back — dedicated to raising awareness of The Polar Academy's life-changing work and to proving to every young person who feels unseen that they, too, are capable of extraordinary things.
Visit The Polar Academy →The Polar Academy is proudly supported by a wonderful community of partners
Expedition Patrons
Molly's Seven Summits is proud to be championed by a group of Expedition Patrons: significant figures in mountaineering and beyond who are willing to lend their name, experience and encouragement to the challenge and be associated with it.
"Molly's Seven Summits project inspires me because it represents something much bigger than climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. She is setting a bold goal, committing to it fully, and showing us what can be accomplished by moving forward one step at a time.
Having spent much of my life in the mountains, I know how powerful these experiences can be. They challenge us physically and mentally, building confidence, perspective, resilience, and a deeper belief in what is possible.
I admire the example Molly is setting for those around her. Projects like this can inspire a community to dream bigger, take on their own challenges, and believe that ambitious goals are within reach.
I'm excited to support Molly and to see the impact her journey has not only on her, but on everyone following along. I hope her Seven Summits project encourages others to step outside their comfort zones, pursue something meaningful, and discover just how much they are capable of."
Bio: Garrett is a High-Altitude Mountain Guide and Expedition Leader and the owner and founder of Madison Mountaineering. He holds the US record for the most Everest summits (16) and has personally guided more clients to the top of Everest than anyone in history. He also led the first successfully guided expedition on K2 in 2014 and has since led four further expeditions to the summit — another US record — guiding more climbers to the top of K2 than anyone in history.
madisonmountaineering.com →
"I have no doubt that Molly has what it takes to get the Seven Summits done! I can't wait to see her achieve her dreams. Best of luck on your amazing journey."
Bio: Mike is the owner and founder of Climbing the Seven Summits, a specialist expedition company running expeditions to all of the Seven Summits. Personally, Mike has two decades of guiding experience across all seven continents and has completed the Seven Summits circuit six times. He is the author of Climbing the Seven Summits: A Comprehensive Guide to the Continents' Highest Peaks — the first and only guidebook covering all seven — and his own adventures include skiing to the South Pole and cycling unsupported across the United States.
climbingthesevensummits.com →Support
Expeditions of this scale don't happen alone. Permits, flights, guides and specialist equipment for all seven peaks run into serious money, with the full challenge expected to cost in the region of £250,000 across the three years. Every Supporter, Ambassador or Corporate Partner helps get Molly one step closer to the summit.
We have various sponsorship packages available and significant sponsorship arrangements can be created on a bespoke basis in accordance with you or your company's needs. As a simple guide, here is an idea of what's available:
Help Molly achieve something extraordinary. Every pound goes towards making Molly's Seven Summits possible.
Donate £500 or more and you can add a personal message of support to Molly's wall which will be a permanent thank-you and a note of encouragement for her to carry up every mountain.
Choose a package that suits you or talk to us about a bespoke arrangement.
Are you a brand or business that wants to be part of an inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime challenge? Corporate partnerships are entirely bespoke, shaped around your organisation's goals and negotiated directly with us across all seven summits. All enquiries are handled by Molly's expedition manager, Kae Tinto.
kae@kaetinto.comGet in touch to discuss a package or a bespoke arrangement.
Supporters Wall
Donate £500 or more and you can add a personal message of support to Molly's wall which will be a permanent thank-you and a note of encouragement for her to carry up every mountain.
[A few kind words of encouragement for Molly's challenge.]
[Supporter Name] £500+ Supporter[A few kind words of encouragement for Molly's challenge.]
[Supporter Name] £500+ Supporter[A few kind words of encouragement for Molly's challenge.]
[Supporter Name] £500+ SupporterAvailable to supporters who have donated £500 or more. Your message will be added to the wall once confirmed.
Blog
Training diaries, honest expedition updates and vivid stories straight from the trail. From the gruelling days high on the mountain to the quiet moments of doubt and triumph in between, follow every step of Molly's journey as the challenge unfolds, one post at a time. For behind-the-scenes photographs and real-time updates from the field, you can also follow Molly on Instagram at @mollyssevensummits.
[Short excerpt — why this mountain, how training is going, and what's keeping you up at night before the first big climb.]
Read more →[Short excerpt — a look inside a training week: the miles, the weights, the cold-water dips and the mindset work behind them.]
Read more →[Short excerpt — the kit that keeps you alive above the clouds, and the hard lessons behind every item on the list.]
Read more →