LONDON – Pakistan’s Goodwill Ambassador Mrs. Vanessa O’Brien has taken Pakistan’s flag to the deepest point in the ocean named Challenger Deep.
According to details, the challenger deep is the lowest point of earth, at 10,923 meters.
Vanessa O’Brien is now the only woman to climb the world’s highest peak Mount Everest and journey to the bottom of the ocean.
The purpose of the dive was to map the eastern seabed of Challenger Deep, collect water and rock samples for further scientific research.
Vanessa’s good friend, Durdana Ansari, OBE Hon. Cdr Royal Navy presented her with the Pakistan flag given by His Excellency Nafees Zakaria at the Pakistan High Commission in London.
Vanessa became a Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan after her three-year summit bid for K2 in 2017.
Since that time Vanessa has promoted a positive image of Pakistan by promoting tourism and direct foreign investment, working closely with public and private organizations to facilitate programs within Pakistan, and remaining active within the Pakistani community.
About Vanessa O’Brien
Vanessa Audi Rhys O’Brien (born 2 December 1964), is a British and American mountaineer, explorer, public speaker and former business executive. She became the first American woman to climb K2 and the first British woman to climb K2 (as a result of her dual nationality) on 28 July 2017, successfully leading a team of 12 members to the summit and back on her third attempt. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), a Fellow of The Explorers Club (TEC), and a Member of The Scientific Exploration Society (SES).
O’Brien received a Fearless Girl Award in 2019 and was awarded Explorer of The Year in 2018 by SES. She set a Guinness World Record for climbing the highest peak on every continent in 295 days, the fastest time by a woman. O’Brien has also skied the last 60 nautical miles or 111 km to the South Pole and North Pole completing the Explorers Grand Slam in 11 months, becoming the first woman to do so in under a calendar year and the 8th woman in the world to accomplish this.
Vanessa Audi Rhys O’Brien was born on 2 December 1964 and grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. After graduating from Grosse Pointe South High School, O’Brien briefly attended University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan and then New York University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Executive MBA in Finance.
O’Brien worked as a Director of Finance and Business Development for Morgan Stanley, Barclays Bank, and the Bank of America.
