Urszula Tokarska

In June, Urszula Tokarska made a successful second attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest. She became the first Canadian woman to climb the “Seven Summits” – the highest points on every continent.

Tokarska was introduced to mountain climbing on a trip to Nepal in 1998 and, after a brief mountaineering course, made her first summit in 1999. It was not until 2002, with two of the Seven Summits already completed, that she tried to climb them all as a tribute to two close friends.

Urszula was born in Slupsk, Poland. Determined to explore the world of more opportunity, she immigrated to Canada in 1988. She worked as a domestic assistant while learning English and soon began applying her studies in a career in architecture and interior design. She became a Canadian citizen in 1993 and is today a licensed interior designer and partner in Stephen R. Pile Architect, a Toronto-based architectural and interior design firm. She is currently working on the design and construction of the $30 million revitalization project in the core of downtown London, Ontario, and working on a book based on her experiences.