Amman, Jordan: November, 2018 – Under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Global Explorer and Mountaineer Joyce Azzam announced her next challenge: become the first Lebanese woman to scale six of the seven highest mountains in the world, with her expedition to Mount Vinson, Antarctica, in a press conference held on November 8th, at Le Royal Hotel, in the presence of Marwan El Hayek, Alfa Chairman and CEO, Ramzi Jubayli, Future TV CEO, First Vice-Governor at Banque du Liban, Raed Charafeddine, Joyce’s partners and media representatives.
Vinson Massif – at 4,897m / 16,055ft – is the highest mountain on Antarctica, lying in the sentinel range of the Ellsworth mountains; about 1,200km from the south pole. Azzam’s 19-day trek starts in Punta Arenas, Chile with a team meeting and gear check, duffle bag weigh in and check in of gear with the flight company before flying to base camp in Antarctica to begin the expedition, which is sponsored by Alfa Telecom and supported by Future TV as media partners. Azzam has earned the support of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who will be following closely her journey throughout Mt. Vinson.
The CEO of Future TV, Mr. Ramzi Jubayli commented on the occasion saying: “We are very proud of Joyce and support her to the fullest, for she is a source of inspiration for the Lebanese women. Future TV will be following Joyce closely throughout all the stages of her expedition, and bringing it live to the Lebanese people who will be supporting Joyce from their end too.”
In his speech, Alfa Chairman and CEO, the engineer Marwan El Hayek, highlighted how Joyce Azzam’s family name, which in Arabic language means “determination”, describes her journey, since it is with her determination that she embarked the challenge, to become soon the first Lebanese woman to complete the Seven Summits project, having raised the Lebanese flag on 5 out of 7 summits already.
He added saying: “our support to Joyce started in her 5th expedition to Aconcagua, followed by a much bigger one in her 6th (Mount Vinson). We will provide Joyce with all the technical support needed for her to stay connected through her Alfa line, as long as she has mobile connection and whenever the connection is cut, Joyce will be able to stay connected through her satellite device that we provided her with, so that she maintains her communication with Lebanon throughout her entire journey.”
Moreover, he pointed out that challenges are part of the daily routine at Alfa, and the latest one they faced was the launch of Alfa Sports app, which realized a drastic change in the world of sports communication, with the transition from sharing voice and data to offering exclusive content services. “The latter is part of our strategy, which is turning our workplace from a traditional operator to a happiness provider, through the positive impact we’re leaving our subscribers and Lebanon with.”
Mr. El Hayek offered Joyce her Alfa line along with the satellite device that will allow her to stay connected throughout her expedition to Mount Vinson (4,897 meters), during which she will go live on Facebook.
“My expedition to Mount Vinson isn’t just about climbing mountains. It’s about inspiring young people to pursue their dreams,” said Joyce Azzam, Global Explorer and Mountaineer. “Like many challenges in life, if you can overcome them with your mind then your body will follow. Throughout each my journeys around world, I carry my love for Lebanon with me. That love, along with hard work, perseverance and dedication to my goals has helped keep me strong in the face of obstacles, moving one step closer to realizing my dreams.”
Azzam is two summits and two poles away from achieving the Explorers Grand Slam. She has completed five out of seven summits from The Seven Summits Challenge: Mt. Elbrus – Russia, Europe (July 2012), Carstensz Pyramid – Papua New Guinea, Oceania (October 2013), Mt. Kilimanjaro – Tanzania, Africa (March 2014), Aconcagua – Argentina, South America (February 2017), Denali – USA, North America (June 2017). After scaling Mt. Vinson – Antarctica in November 2018, her love of adventure will take her to Mt. Everest – Asia in April 2019.
Azzam is more than an accomplished global explorer and mountaineer having climbed 26 mountains around the world, she is a conservation architect with two master degrees – one in Management of Public Projects and the second in Conservation of Historic Cities – and a PhD in Landscape & Environment.
Azzam is also child protection advocate through himaya, Lebanese non-governmental organization dedicated to making child protection a right across Lebanon. Joyce visits schools, universities and safe spaces around Lebanon, sharing her story and upcoming journey with more than 1000 children, youth and community members.