Mountaineer | Business Coach | International Speaker
Deshun Deysel is one of South Africa’s leading female mountaineers. In her 20+ year career as a high-altitude mountaineer, she has been on 16 major expeditions to five continents. In 1996 she made history by being part of the first group of South Africans to plant the new democratic flag on the top of Mt. Everest. Unfortunately Deshun herself was unable to summit that year, but returned to Everest in 2003. Bad weather, however, thwarted that attempt as Deshun made her way to the summit. Again she had to turn back – this time a mere 500 metres from the top. Devastating!
But Desh is not one to give up easily and this year she was due to attempt the mighty mountain a third time. As part of the first all-women team from Africa to attempt the climb, this expidition was sure to make history. Stronger than ever, Desh was prepped and ready to head off in March when Covid caused it’s chaos. Again, such terrible disappointment! But this most certainly won’t be the end of her Everest Story - watch this space…
Deshun’s skills definitely don’t stay on the mountain, she’s a mother of two,an accomplished Management Consultant and an International Speaker. She focuses on business leadership in the context of change and diversity and has addressed over 1000 audiences in over 17 countries, in the areas of leadership, strategy, performance management and organizational culture. In addition to her role as a Professional Speaker, she is the CEO of GoPeak International PTY(LTD) – Key Performance Insights & People Analytics.
Deshun is on the board of the Laureus SA Trust as well as Laureus Sport for Good Ambassador - making significant contributions to the sporting community.
She contributes globally to the In.Spire programme on behalf of LIMAK Austrian Business School
“I can categorically state that being a mum is more difficult than climbing Mount Everest.” Deshun Deysel
@Deshun_Speaking on Twitter
DESHUN speaks to Strongest Story on chocolate, a good cry and then how to move forward.
“My approach to overcoming obstacles is to dwell on the future.
Do I get knocked down? YES!
Do, I suffer failure and disappointment? YES!
Do I feel sorry for myself when it happens? YES!
I give myself a time limit when any of these happen. I don’t allow myself to wallow for very long. I have a good cry, eat some chocolate, pray and move on with an eye on the future. I pray for guidance and Wisdom. I seek out advice from the many sounding boards around me.
It’s not an exact formula, because the nature of the setback often governs the length of self-pity I allow myself.
As I get older (just turned 50) I’m calmer about my response to setbacks. I’m not prone to panicking - which is a thought technique I picked up as a mountaineer. If you can slow your thought process down and remain calm, you are more in control of the outcome than if you’re in a state of panic. I also find that comparing my achievements to those of others is not helpful.
So, I keep my eye very focused on my mission and purpose and let others get on with theirs.
It really helps to keep perspective on the important work I’m doing: Inspiring purposeful action in Life and Business.”
A message from Strongest Story:
Desh, as she’s fondly known to most, is one of those woman who’s company you just can’t get enough of. Apart from being able to keep you mesmerized by a myriad of the most unbelievable mountaineering stories, (that of course leave you feeling totally gobsmacked and in awe!) her infectious smile and sense of humour make her totally relatable and such fun to be around!
Married to my cousin, I feel very fortunate to be able to call Desh ‘family’. Witnessing her sheer grit and determination as woman has inspired me to believe that no ‘mountain peak’ in my life is too hard to conquer. And if I don’t reach my goal on the first attempt, I must try and then try again… Giving up is not an option.
Desh, Strongest Story thanks you for leading from the front – we’re right behind you all the way!