Home > News

Climber Silvia Vasquez-Lavado to be played by Selena Gomez

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado first Peruvian woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest

Singer and actor Selena Gomez has signed on to star in “In the Shadow of the Mountain,” a biopic about Peruvian mountaineer Silvia Vásquez-Lavado. The film will be based on Vásquez-Lavado’s memoir of the same name, due out in 2022.

Born in Lima, Vásquez-Lavado made history in 2016 when she became the first Peruvian woman to climb Mount Everest. Two years later, she became the first openly gay woman to have climbed the Seven Summits. The 46-year-old climber now lives in San Francisco.

In 2014, Vásquez-Lavado founded Courageous Girls, a California-based advocacy group, to help young female survivors of sexual violence through adventure travel.

“Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a woman possessed of uncommon strength, rare compassion, and a ferocious stubbornness to not allow the trauma of her childhood to destroy her life,” said author of Eat, Prey, LoveI Elizabeth Gilbert.  In climbing the Seven Summits, she did nothing less than take back her own life -one brave step at a time. She will inspire untold numbers of souls with this story, for her victory is a win on behalf of all of us.”

Vásquez-Lavado’s Seven Summit

Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) in September 2006
Mount Elbrus (Russia) in August 2007
Aconcagua (Argentina) in January 2014
Mount Kosciuszko (Australia) in March 2015
Carstensz Pyramid (Indonesia) in March 2015
Vinson Massif (Antarctica) in December 2015
Mount Everest (Nepal) in May 2016
Denali / McKinley (Alaska) in June 2018

NPR Interview

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

The Best Climbing Gear According to Our Editors – March

Every month we're bringing you our favourite gear so you can complete your climbing kit with the latest and best stuff out there