Anne-Sophie Thilo

She describes herself as incredibly stubborn – a quality that will help her achieve her goal of climbing the Matterhorn. Anne-Sophie Thilo was a professional yachtswoman for twelve years in the Swiss Sailing Team, competed in the Olympic Games in 2008 in Beijing and currently works as a Communications Consultant in the sporting industry. In her application video, she explains why she is ready for the "Matterhorn: Ladies please!" project.

Name: Anne-Sophie Thilo
Age when completing the ascent: 31 years old
Residence: Lausanne
Height: 178 cm
Profession & Qualifications: Freelance communication and media consultant (sport)
Hobbies: Sport (skiing, mountain biking, sailing, kite surfing, climbing), cooking, theatre
My strengths: passionate, enthusiastic, empathetic
My weaknesses: impatient, sensitive, demanding

My social media channels (all):

Facebook: anne-sophie.thilo
Instagram: ansothilo
Twitter:AnSoThilo
LinkedIn: Anne-Sophie Thilo
Snapchat: ansothilo

I am ready for the Matterhorn, because...
...it’s been my dream for a long time. I would do anything to achieve this goal. Because I’m really stubborn, I’ll get it done.

My mountain climbing experience:
Before I discovered how amazing the ocean is, I spent most of my spare time in the mountains. At weekends and in the holidays, we travelled around the Valais Alps. I’ve been skiing, climbing, hiking, doing skiing tours and mountain biking for years. Not that long ago, I ‘bagged’ my first four-thousander, the Breithorn. I have also done several multi-day tours in the Alps.

My biggest challenge for this project:
That I can find the stamina I need to make the most of this amazing project.

My connection to Zermatt and the Matterhorn:
I have a really strong connection to both Zermatt and the Matterhorn. A long time ago, my grandparents bought an apartment in Zermatt, so I’ve been coming to Zermatt since I was a child. My parents also met each other in Zermatt when a huge snowfall in the winter of 1985 cut the village off. I took my first steps and first skied at the foot of the Matterhorn. Every time I get off the train in Zermatt, it feels special and wonderful! I am continually fascinated by this place and this mountain.

It annoys me when...
…people are inefficient ;) and injustice!

My first thought when I heard about this project:
"I HAVE to apply!" I knew that I had to do everything I could to be one of the lucky ones. Nothing happens by pure chance!