On her first expedition through Sulawesi in Indonesia, Jade discovered that even more important than the ability be in another’s shoes, is the need to trust your own.

After the first 10-hour day walking mountains and jungle, her feet were a bloody mess of blisters, shredded skin and mud. She walked across the island in socks, then bare feet and learned what kind of traveler she was to be … the accidental type!

In 15 more years of traveling Jade has never made the mistake again – but there have been plenty of others. In the Amazon she dipped her toothbrush in the river and was delirious with fever and hallucinations for five days. In the far west of Turkey she forgot to cover her blonde hair and was threatened with knives. In Ecuador she rescued two swimmers and was nearly drowned before calming them both with a right hook each. In Nepal she slipped on inch-thick ice in a remote squat toilet at 3,800 meters …

The real arts of traveling, she says, are the determination to live out a dream, and the grace to survive the parts that go wrong. The rewards are immense. Through travels in Asia, South America, India, Africa, Antarctica, Amazon and others, Jade has discovered many wonders about the world, insights to herself and others, and strengthened qualities of endurance, patience, trust and courage that are the keys to possibility.

She has climbed over 6, 300 meters, trekked solo on three continents, lead 20 other women on adventures of their own and written about journeys of discovery – both in landscape of the world and of the mind - for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Panorama, Telegraph, Sunday Magazine, and others.

In 2002 Jade was struck with an exotic arthritic illness that left her with painful disfigurements to her joints and depression. After months of difficulty walking and writing she was told she would never trek again, much less travel overseas. Luckily for her, she had already survived much worse scenarios unharmed and news that she could not go on reminded her to rest a while, wait, and look for another path.

In 2004 Jade joined a three-girl team of novice (and out of shape) adventurers to form the first charity expedition of Girls on Top. They made the 5 895m summit of Kilimanjaro – Africa's highest free standing mountain – under a full moon in July. It was a life-changing experience and not without major hurdles. Funds from this expedition provided water for eight villages including tiny Lirhanzo Orphanage in Zimbabwe where a small community has drawn together to survive drought, war, AIDS and poverty. The insights learned on Kilimanjaro revealed that there was more to be done here at home. What the team lerned was that while first world women can make a huge difference to our sisters struggling around the world, there is also more we need to do for ourselves. Jade began to see the mountaineering experience as a way for women to work better in teams, achieve self awareness and appreciate the need for western leaders to learn from Indigenous people what true success is all about.


In 2005 Jade became director of Girls on Top Inc, inviting women from around Australia to create a new team each year, and taking the project into business as a leadership model. She devised a program called Rise and Shine enabling corporations to support Girls on Top fund raising, as well as include a staff member on the expedition team as a performance incentive and learning experience.

The 2005 team was supported by Qantas, Cadbury, Village Roadshow and Telstra. The project was among five finalists in an international competition run by Salomon in France, supporting women in leadership. That year the second all-girl team trekked 200kms over 11 days in the stunning (and breathlessly high) Huayhuash Circuit made famous by the film Touching the Void. They raised funds to support biodiversity in the Amazon, and planned and pulled off heatwave renovation rescue in 100% humidity at an animal orphanage in deepest Peru.

By 2006 more corporate partners joined, more international networks were created and while a team of seven women from across Australia made a remarkable fundraising journey both personally and geographically in the remote Himalaya, Girls on Top was experiencing its own new adventure.

In 2007 the organisation partnered with leading adventure brand, Kathmandu, promoting the adventure of leadership and contribution to more than 500, 000 people through Kathmandu stores nationally and a direct mail campaign. More than 1 200 women applied to join the team and the Girls on Top expedition blog had over 38 000 visits during the four weeks of their Andes to Amazon fundraising expedition.

The project continues to attract growth and support, with women applying to join the inspirational team from around the world. Jade’s own adventure has included a journey into the business world as Girls on Top inspires her to seek out supporters and experts closer to home to guide and encourage her and the teams.

In 2008 Girls on Top has begun a training and self esteem program with NIDA Corporate, offering team members and women from the community focused training on presentation, self expression, team psychology and story telling. Our team will be trained and mentored by Aboriginal elders and leading women from a variety of sectors. We aim to take our message of leadership, confident expression, self awareness and connection to others to communities in business, schools and the community, as well as raising funds toward supporting other women’s journeys in life.

Expeditions: Sulawesi; solo trek (12 days)
Europe; climbing Picos de Europa – solo (3 days)
Ecuador; Cotopaxi & Tungerahu – solo ice (2 – 4 days)
Peru; Inca Trail, solo & Santa Cruz circuit – solo (3 – 5 days)
Amazon; Kayak Rio Napo to Amazon – solo (two months)
Amazon; Cruise Iquitos to Belem – escorted (three weeks)
Bolivia; Potosi – escorted on ice & Titicaca trekking (three weeks)
Nepal; Ganjan Gompa trek, borders Tibet, solo (10 days)
Antarctica; SCUBA – escorted (three weeks)
Africa; Kilimanjaro – escorted (5 days) Girls on Top
Peru; Huayhuash Circuit – team leader (12 days) Girls on Top x 2
Amazon; Iquitos jungle – team leader (12 days) Girls on Top x 2
Ladakh; Chilling route – team leader (12 days) Girls on Top

Funds Raised: Girls on Top has raised more than $80,000 toward projects supporting communities and biodiversity since 2004. In 2008 we aim to travel with 10 team members and raise more than $30,000 toward conservation and a project supporting leadership and self esteem among Australian women