SAN DIEGO — CBS 8 last spoke with climber Valerie Orsoni in September 2022, when she broke a record of climbing 20 peaks in 12 days. Now, she’s back at it again.
"I'm so excited! Here, I'm the first woman on the mountain! Woo, we did it," cheers Orsoni at the top of a mountain in Ecuador.
Orsoni is a French-born nomad who calls San Diego home for half of the calendar year.
She returned from Ecuador, where she climbed to the top of an inactive volcano, Chimborazo, which reached 20,550 ft.
She completed this in 12 hours and faced several challenges along the way.
"The pain was so unbearable," Valerie said in a self-recorded video.
Her initial goal was to climb five mountains in 15 days during this trip.
However, she had to stop at four due to an unexpected injury to her right toe on the climb down.
"The pain was like knives or scissors going into my toe. In the mountaineering world, it's not just about being successful and going to the top; it knows when to stop," said Orsoni.
She’s not only a warrior when it comes to conquering mountains, but she’s also a warrior in the fashion world. She started her own non-profit eco-friendly fitness line called Lili Warrior.
"We all have an inner warrior. We have to awaken it," said Orsoni.
And she continues to inspire others
"We have to be proud of what we do. People say, 'it is what it is.' I say, 'no, embrace it! Just say, 'I did it! I'm proud of myself, and I'm strong!' You are so much stronger than you think. Think outside the box and do something crazy. I'm going, to be honest, I almost quit, but I prefer the taste of victory," she said.
Orsoni planned to climb a mountain in the Himalayas in April.
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