Joyce Azzam

Joyce Azzam (Arabic: جويس عزام) is a Lebanese elite mountaineer born on June 24, 1984. Azzam holds the record of being the only Lebanese woman to complete the Seven Summits. She graduated with a Ph.D. in landscape and environment from the Sapienza University of Rome. Azzam now runs an NGO called MounTurtle. She is the first Lebanese woman and one of the few Arab women to complete and raise the Lebanese flag on top of the Seven Summits after reaching the top Everest in May 2019.

Quotes

• ...A girl from my community isn’t allowed to have big dreams, and I chose a dream that should not be mine...
• ...Mountains changed me and they have made me stronger...
• ...Believe in the seed and give it a chance to grow and see the light. Don’t listen to your parents when they tell you to not follow the seed. For me, this is what I did with my parents. I was really stubborn with them because I had to follow my dreams...
  • This Lebanese Mountaineer is Breaking Down Barriers, One Climb at a Time
• ...I tell women and girls to be faithful to their dreams...
• ...I have drawn my inspiration from who I am; a Lebanese, and moreover a woman, who had the will and strength to overcome obstacles...
  • Interview with Joyce Azzam by The UN Women - Arab States