University of Leeds academic returns to Everest after cancer diagnosis
Shauna Burke returned to the world’s highest mountain earlier this year and says she aims to climb the other 13 peaks above 8,000 metres.
Dr Shauna Burke, an associate professor in exercise and health psychology at the University of Leeds, returned to Mount Everest earlier in 2026 after being diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, according to an interview with France 24.
Burke first summited Everest in 2005. She is now aiming to climb the world’s 13 other peaks above 8,000 metres, though the interview gave no timetable for those attempts.
Describing her experience in the mountains, Burke said she felt “at peace” and “alive”. She framed the climbing goal as part of continuing to live fully after her diagnosis.
The interview did not detail the circumstances of her return to Everest or discuss a treatment role for mountaineering or exercise.
