Most locals will know Desiree Winkel by now. The personal fitness and medical coach has been featured in our newspaper, on Facebook and Instagram and more recently on TikTok.
Originally from Holland, Desiree has lived in the Caribbean for over 30 years. She won the overall bodybuilding and figure contest for St. Maarten a couple of years ago, and is currently training to climb her next summit in Bolivia as part of her 7 summits project.
Desiree says what makes her journey to climbing the 7 summits so special is the fact that she has lived on the island and in the Caribbean for a long time. She often climbs from sea level to as high as the little planes can fly.
After she had hiked up to Base Camp of the famous Mount Everest, Desiree decided that this was not enough anymore. The fitness coach wanted to go higher and conquer more challenging mountains. Thus the start of her project to conquer 7 summits – made possible by sponsors both locally and abroad.
Desiree says the reason that sponsors are interested in participating is simple – she is 56 years young and conquers mountains with a height of 5,500 meters/ 18,000 feet to 5,900 meters/ 19,400 feet. In doing so, Desiree believes she is an inspiration to so many people. Her perseverance, positivity, and strong mind are often praised – and sponsors want to contribute to her quest.
In 2022, Desiree started her first climb in Peru in May and then went back to Peru in December for another climb.
This month of June, Desiree will climb Bolivia, where she will have to go above 20,000 feet.
Desiree explains that she chooses her summits randomly – basically anything that excites her and has a higher difficulty level with special routes. She says the ultimate goal is to climb a mountain close to 22,800 feet, that is, about 6,900 meters.
Of course, Desiree feels the difference between being in her 30s and being in her 50s; but she says exercising, having a healthy lifestyle and stretching are sufficient for her to feel young and look young. Desiree loves life. “Being in nature and being all by yourself [with a guide] high on the mountain is the best feeling ever for me,” she says.
Desiree hopes people will find encouragement in what she shows the world: “Every day is a new day; and every day you can change your life for the better.”
Most of all, Desiree says she is so excited to put the flag of our beloved beautiful island on the summit of these two mountains again! The climber concludes with one of her favourite quotes: “Lack of courage is what makes big dreams sit in the ink of the paper instead of them running in the shoes of actions. Without courage, you remain a dreamer!”
Follow Desiree’s journey on social media (Instagram: @fitness_desiree_winkel or Facebook Desiree Winkel).
