Diagnosed with Stage 4 incurable cancer, researcher and mountaineer Dr. Shaunna Burke, after summiting Everest in 2026, continues her journey for: 14 in 4.
Fourteen 8,000-metre peaks. Four years. Stage IV cancer.
This story isn’t about defying illness; it’s about redefining what life looks like when you live alongside it.
“Cancer leaves scars, but my spirit still climbs.”
[ About ]
A researcher at the University of Leeds, Shaunna’s work focuses on exercise, resilience, and quality of life for people living with Stage 4 cancer.
She’s also a motivational speaker and expedition climber — first summiting Everest in 2005.
Today, she merges science and experience to show that life doesn’t end with diagnosis; it evolves.
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY: The 14 Eight-Thousanders
COMPLETED CLIMBS
1/14: MAY 2026
MOUNT EVEREST
I've climbed Everest twice now — once in 2005, and again in 2026. Getting up there is as much about strategy and picking the right weather window as it is about fitness, and the second climb doubled as a fundraiser for Macmillan and a chance to test the thing I research: how the body adapts to altitude and training during cancer treatment.
UPCOMING CLIMBS
2/14: SEPTEMBER 2026
MANASLU
Manaslu is the world's eighth-highest mountain at 8,163m, in west-central Nepal. Its name roughly means "mountain of the spirit." It's one of the more dangerous 8,000ers, and autumn is the main post-monsoon climbing season. I will be be climbing with Lopsang Sherpa.
An Everest Expedition by Shaunna Burke
In May 2026, Shaunna returned to the Himalayas and climbed Mount Everest, while continuing to raise vital funds in support of the charity Macmillan Cancer Support. The story, research, and fundraising continues with her attempt at all 14 8,000 meter peaks in the next 4 years.
Her History with Mount Everest
From the Discovery Channel archives — Shaunna Burke’s first Everest story.
Corporate Sponsorship Invitation
We’re inviting select partners to join the Dying to Climb expedition and documentary as corporate sponsors — organizations that share our belief in the power of human resilience, science, and storytelling.
Your sponsorship directly supports the 2026 Everest expedition, production of the Dying to Climb documentary, and global outreach to inspire people living with chronic illness.
As a valued partner, your company logo will appear in the film credits, on expedition gear, and across campaign materials and press releases. Sponsors will also receive behind-the-scenes updates, co-branding opportunities, and early access to the film premiere.
Together, we can elevate a story that transcends mountains — one that shows what it means to keep moving, no matter the climb.
Thank you to our current sponsors!
Press & Media
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Following Shaunna’s completion of the Everest marathon, Dying to Climb has already caught the attention of major outlets for its extraordinary message — that movement, mindset, and meaning can redefine how we live with illness.
Explore recent coverage, interviews, and press resources below, and follow along as the next chapter of this story unfolds.
[ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ]