16th March 2016

Mountaineering twins to speak at TEDxQueenstown 2016

TEDxQueenstown has announced that world record holders and social activists Tashi and Nungshi Malik will speak at the event on April 17, 2016.

The ‘connexions’ themed half-day will include a range of short, 18 minute talks from leading thinkers and performers. Now in its fourth year, the volunteer-run event attracts a wide range of intriguing and influential speakers to the Queenstown Memorial Centre.

Twin sisters Tashi and Nungshi Malik have previously spoken about their record-breaking mountaineering achievements at TEDxTughlaqRd, in their home country of India. Now studying at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) in Invercargill, the twins say they are “absolutely excited” to speak at their first international TEDx.

“This will be our first international TEDx event, but we’re confident we’re good speakers,” say the Malik twins.

“We’re well versed on our topic, the hard part is sharing two years’ adventures in less than twenty minutes!”

At just 24 years old, the twins have an impressive list of achievements. They were the first female twins to climb Mt Everest and the first siblings to scale the Seven Summits, the tallest peaks of each of the seven continents.

They’re also the youngest people to complete the Explorers’ Grand Slam, successfully reaching all Seven Summits and the North and South Pole, all in just two years and one month.

Now Tashi and Nungshi Malik are completing their studies at SIT in Exercise and Sports Science and hope to encourage other young girls, in India and around the world, to get involved with outdoor sports.

“Climbing mountains is our passion. We were lucky to have the encouragement and confidence to follow our passion and we want other girl children to be able to do the same,” says Nungshi.

The Malik twins will grace the TEDxQueenstown stage in April alongside performance poet Liz Breslin, multi-career advocate Patrick Dodson and Ken Clearwater, who works with MSSAT, New Zealand’s only organisation supporting male survivors of sexual abuse.

The half-day event promises a jam-packed programme of speakers and performers, with more to be announced in the run up to the day. Guests will be treated to a range of local food and beverages, special satellite activities and a few surprises on the day.

Tickets for TEDxQueenstown 2016 cost $138 and can be purchased via Eventfinda.co.nz from March 17th.

ENDS

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