CLIMBING EVEREST for my daughter

After devastating loss, Karina embarked on a journey of healing

- Words: Emma Levett.

Trekking to the base of Mt Everest was something Karina Goldsworthy had wanted to do for many years. But it wasn't a fitness goal or because she wanted to tick something off a bucket list - it was something far more personal than that.

Her 10-year-old daughter Sophie died in a medical episode at home in 2016 and as the highest point Karina could get to, Everest Base Camp felt like the closest the mum could be to her in Heaven. It was also for her daughter Hannah, now 21, who was horribly impacted by her sister's tragic death.

"I wanted her to be proud of me and to show her what we can achieve," Karina, 48, tells Woman's Day. "Even if we've been through the worst, we can still follow our dreams. As a mum, it was so important for me not to fail."

At the start of 2025, the window of possibility opened, leaving Karina just 13 weeks to train for the 10-day hike.

"I had a personal trainer who made sure I was fit," says the Sunshine Coast resident. "I was walking everywhere with a weighted vest and doing strength sessions.

"It was also about getting my mind ready. I was going solo and would be away from Hannah for Sophie's nine-year anniversary. I knew there would be some internal struggle, but I was determined if I was there, I wouldn't give up."