Dr. Shaunna Burke (BA '01) is a former alpine skier and rugby player at McGill who became the second Canadian woman to successfully summit Mt. Everest, completing the feat in 2005. During her time at McGill, from 1998 to 2001, she won Quebec championships with both the skiing and rugby programs. In her junior year she finished on the podium six times in 10 races with the ski team, winning a pair of gold medals in the process. She also competed for Canada at the FISU Winter Games in Slovakia. 

Some of her other climbing highlights include a successful ascent of Mount Elbrus, Europe's highest peak, and the difficult traverse of Mount Blanc from Italy to France. 

In total, Burke has climbed Everest three times and summited once. She now works as an exercise psychologist at the University of Leeds in the UK and has studied the mental strategies of successful Everest climbers, some of which she used herself in her climbs. 

She completed her Master's degree and PhD in sport psychology at the University of Ottawa and has presented her work at numerous conferences around the world, as well as many motivational speaking engagements.  

Dr. Shaunna Burke is featured in the fifth episode of McGill Athletics and Recreation's new podcast series Alma Matters. 

Click below to listen now!