73-Year-Old Melaka Grandma with Six-Pack Hikes to Mount Everest Base Camp

At the age of 73 most people would be content carrying out some gardening or playing with their grandkids, but not Melaka-born Suzie Oliver. Known amongst her friends as the ‘Iron Lady’ she crossed off the final feat on her bucket list by scaling the Mount Everest base camp in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

The gruelling hike took eight days to reach the South Base Camp at 5,364m above sea level, while the entire trip to Nepal took her 15 days. The other base camp on the mountain's opposite side is the North Base Camp in China at 5,150 metres.

Speaking to The Star, Suzie said her feat was an emotional one due to her age, “Everyone wanted to take photos with me as I was like the oldest person on the trail. The youngest was a teenager whom I met on the way back.”

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

She faced challenges during the trail especially due to her vegetarian diet but was determined to complete the adventure. Suzie went to Nepal with two of her friends and had a guide and two porters with them. Together, they started their expedition at about 6 a.m. on the first day as soon as they reached an airfield in the small town of Lukla, which is 2,800m above sea level.

Suzie shared that they hiked about six or seven hours each day before resting for the day in small motels. “There were no roads. Just gravel everywhere and no vehicles. Along the way, there were people in their houses and animals. The weather was about 16°C during the day and dropped to minus in the night,” she said and added that even while indoors, she had to use three layers of clothes and a blanket.

On the eighth day, they reached the base camp. “It was a great adventure being there. Beyond that point, it was all snow right to the peak,” she said. Suzie also said she had no plans to scale to the peak as it was too dangerous, and her family would not permit her.

The Grandmother’s Bucket List

Suzie isn’t one to rest on her laurels as in May, she managed to hike to the peak of Mount Kinabalu and she also trekked up a G7 mountain in Cameron Highlands, both of which were also on her bucket list. The Malaysia G7 refers to the 7 highest mountains above 7000 feet.

She explained, “I wanted to prepare myself for the trip to Everest as it was the last item on my bucket list.”

Suzie also previously took part in the Sunway Iskandar Viper Challenge @ Medini in Johor which typically covers 15km with 18 obstacles. The mother of two is married to an American but resides in Malaysia. The tough lady also shared that she would join cycling races, which went up to 60km up and down the valleys of Utah whenever she went to the United States.

Suzie previously worked as a chef in Singapore before going on mission trips with her husband.

Never Too Late to Get Fit

It goes to show that it’s never too late to start something as Suzie only started taking fitness seriously when she was 57. In 2007, her daughter suggested that she take part in a marathon in Singapore, so she trained in the gym for several months and managed to complete the 5km stretch. “Before that, I never did anything strenuous, she said.

Then 2014, she headed to Singapore again to participate in a Spartan race alongside her daughter and granddaughter. There, she emerged top in her age group by beating almost 800 other participants in the 10km event. There were 15 obstacles to overcome where she had to flip tyres that weighed up to 60kg, throw arrows, and even climb over walls. “People thought I was crazy but for me, it was an opportunity to bond with my family,” she said.

The spunky grandmother is far from being done with hiking. Next year, she plans to visit Nepal again to hike up another mountain.

Image credit: @suzieoliver007, The Star