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Zoja Skubis - the youngest polish woman on Mount Everest

Introduction

Zoja Skubis (born May 30, 2005) is a Polish influencer, mountaineer, and alpinist. She is primarily known for her expedition to Mount Everest, which earned her the title of the youngest Pole to summit an eight-thousander. She is one of the most recognizable young personalities on the Polish internet, and her innovative media communication and active, competitive lifestyle have become her personality and trademark.

Curriculum vitae

Zoja Skubis is a 21-year-old Polish woman from Krakow. She inherited her love and passion for mountain climbing from her father, Wojciech Skubis, who was also a climber and died in the Caucasus Mountains in 2020. This tragedy had a profound impact on Zoja, who, at 14, had to cope with the death of her own father.

From an early age, the young Polish woman demonstrated extraordinary discipline and determination. In interviews, she often emphasized the crucial role hard work played in achieving her goals. As a teenager, she combined her studies with intense training, including months -long acclimatization processes and endurance training in extreme conditions.

Media activities

Skubis uses social media to build her own strong personal brand. She documents her expeditions and promotes a sporty and healthy lifestyle. From lifestyle content and daily vlogs about travel preparations, which went viral across Poland, she transitioned to reporting on her high-altitude expeditions and creating documentary projects.

The internet creator reports from various corners of the world, including Ukraine, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. Her work has been recognized by prestigious and internationally renowned institutions. In 2025, Zoja received the "Woman of the Year" title from Forbes Women Polska magazine in the sports category. In 2026, to celebrate her numerous successes, a Barbie doll inspired by her image was created , symbolizing her influence on the younger generation in Poland.

Sports and travel achievements

Zoja Skubis has completed a number of demanding challenges that go beyond the scope of standard Himalayan mountaineering:

Travel - a young Polish woman has completed two trips around the world and traveled 500 kilometers on roller skates in the United States High-altitude mountaineering - before reaching the summit of the eight-thousander, she climbed Georgia's Kazbek (5054m), Peru's Ishinca (5530m), Tocllaraju (6034m), and Huascáran (6768m) Endurance challenges - Zoja completed a marathon in Antarctica (42 km) in temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius, and a half marathon in the Arctic Circle in temperatures reaching -40 degrees Celsius. Manaslu - In September 2024, a woman conquered her first eight-thousander, Manaslu (8,163 m above sea level). This expedition made her the youngest Polish woman to achieve this feat.

Training and mental preparation

Skubis often mentions in interviews that mountain climbing is 80% mental work and only 20% physical. Zoja has her own unique preparation method, based on so-called "conscious discomfort training." The influencer strengthens her psyche by regularly subjecting herself to extreme conditions before grueling expeditions. This includes long hours in hypothermic chambers, meditation under high-stress conditions, and insomnia training.

According to Zoja, for young people, the mountains are a "large mirror" in which they can see their own limitations. Her approach to sport is devoid of the narcissism that characterizes the world of digital creators. Instead of an idealized image, she presents challenging expeditions from behind the scenes. She demonstrates that frostbite, moments of self-doubt, and extreme exhaustion are completely normal, even standard.

Expedition to Mount Everest

The young woman's most important achievement is conquering Mount Everest (8,849 meters above sea level). Skubis reached the summit on May 18, 2025, at 11:38 a.m. local time.

Preparations and course of the expedition

For such a demanding expedition, Zoja had to undergo extensive preparation. She trained six to seven times a week. She endured hours of training, often using weights on her back to acclimate herself to carrying a heavy backpack. She only took one day off from the physically demanding exercises and training. On that day, she focused on mobility and stretching exercises.

The expedition to the world's highest mountain was an extraordinary experience for Zoya. She spent two months in Nepal acclimating to the extreme conditions. As she emphasized, the process required immense discipline, training, but also tears and nerves.

During the ascent, she used the traditional southern route. Despite the support of experienced, professional guides and oxygen systems, which are standard procedure in commercial summit expeditions, her achievement, determination, and effort were praised by the mountaineering community as evidence of her immense athletic maturity. The summit attempt took place during an ideal weather window, allowing Skubis to safely reach the summit.

Historical significance

The conquest of Everest by then-19-year-old Zoja Skubis made her the youngest Polish woman on the "Roof of the World." Skubis broke the previous record, held by Bogumiła "Miłka" Raulin, by 15 years. Her success received widespread media coverage, and even Martyna Wojciechowska, who was also once the youngest Polish woman to conquer the peak, offered congratulations to the young climber. Zoja announced that conquering Everest would not mean the end of her summiting career. She plans to climb the Crown of the Himalayas and the Karakoram, which is all fourteen eight-thousanders in the world.

Bibliography

Party.pl https://party.pl/newsy/jest-najmlodsza-polka-na-mount-everest-za-wielka-pasja-kryje-sie-rodzinna-tragedia/ Naekranie.pl https://naekranie.pl/lekkie/zoja-skubis-wiek-partner-rodzina-osiagniecia-kariera-pasje-1775984334 Forbes.pl https://www.forbes.pl/forbeswomen/nie-daj-sie-zawstydzic/k61wl8l Mediaroom https://pap-mediaroom.pl/ludzie-i-kultura/polska-podrozniczka-z-wlasna-lalka-barbie-zoja-skubis-w-globalnym-gronie-barbie Impactee.com https://impactcee.com/impact/2026/pl/speaker/?spk=4536 Bogdanca.pl https://bogdanca.pl/blog/500-kilometrow-na-rolkach-przez-usa-zoja-skubis-swietuje-pol-miliona-fanow-w-wielkim-stylu Power of Dreams Festival https://festiwalsilymarzen.pl/zoja-skubis/ Polish Radio https://www.polskieradio.pl/399/7977/Artykul/3526171,The Youngest Polish Woman on Everest-19-Year-Old-Zoja-Skubis-Zapisala-sie-na-kartach-historii https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbLzKnH-4rM National Geographic https://www.national-geographic.pl/traveler/adventure/zostala-najmlodsza-polka-na-dachu-swiata-zoja-skubis-zdobyla-mount-everest/ Form to the Top https://formanaszczyt.pl/zoja-skubis-jako-najmlodsza-polka-stanela-na-szczycie-mount-everest/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5F58i_qHcw