Girls on Top took Village Roadshow’s Rise & Shine prize winner, Jennifer Wright, on expedition through the remote Buddhist Himalayan region of Ladakh for one month in September last year. Jen joined our team of seven women who raised more than $30,000 toward improving conditions & preserving culture & environment in this spectacular & ancient land.

She trekked in freezing, scorching, icy conditions for 12 long, tough days at altitudes exceeding 5000 metres, completed the first ever Girls on Top spontaneous swim and lived for a week in the home of a traditional Ladakhi family. Along the way Jen experienced a culture, landscape & journey unique in the world. She tested her boundaries & found them broader than she imagined. She pushed her limits & exceeded them with flair & with leadership.

She experienced real & serious challenges in team dynamics, a trekking journey unlike anything she had ever done before, & discovered a world she never knew existed.

“It sounds so cliché," she says. "but it really is a life changing experience!"

The experience “It’s hard to pin it to just one thing. I loved the entire adventure! I enjoyed meeting the girls and getting to know new people that I would not normally spend time with. I loved experiencing a culture so different to anything I have before and I absolutely loved that climb. I was so nervous about the trek before I left and to be honest when we made that first climb I was so happy with myself I wanted to cry. I can’t ever recall being so proud.”

Has it changed the way she works? “It’s changed me personally and has therefore impacted the way in which I approach my role at work. I am a lot more relaxed and comfortable in situations that would have previously rattled me. I am more direct with staff and clients which is actually delivering better results for me across the board.”

Does she recommend it? “Yes and I think I’ve done so almost every day since I got back. Why? It was the most amazing trip I have ever been on and will ever go on again.”