Then in 2015, in her final year as a mathematics student at the Nanyang Technological University, she spent a month as a volunteer teacher in Tanzania, helping children in need with their maths lessons. After this she did some exploring of Tanzania, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

The climb was a life-changing experience for Vincere. She felt alive in the mountains, and she discovered that she enjoyed the challenge of pushing her body to the limit. Bitten by the mountaineering bug, she continued to climb. In 2017 she summited Mera Peak in Nepal, and then she attempted Aconcagua in Argentina but failed to summit.

The failure led her to commit fully to mountaineering, even as she began to build her work career as an IT manager. In 2018 she embarked on a rigorous training programme and set her sights on summiting Mount Everest in 2020. But the Covid pandemic put paid to that plan.

Finally, in May 2023, Vincere got her chance to get to the top of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. Almost immediately after summitting Everest, she climbed Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world.

Then, in July 2023, Vincere was one of two Singapore women who made it to the top of K2, the second tallest mountain in the world and regarded by many as a much more challenging climb that Everest. The two of them were the first Singapore women to have climbed the two tallest mountains in the world.

It took them seven days of climbing to summit K2, with the chances of making it to the top getting dimmer and dimmer as weather worsened and they had to battle heavy snowfall, wind, and fog. But on 27 July the weather cleared, and the long line of climbers were able to push on and reach the summit.

Vincere has the additional accolade of being the first Singaporean and the first Southeast Asian to summit three of the world’s 8,000m and higher peaks – Everest, Lhotse, and K2 – within a single year.

Born in China, Vincere came to Singapore in 2009 on a scholarship. After graduating from NTU, she became a permanent resident in 2016 and five years later, in 2021, she became a Singapore citizen.

Mountaineering is now an integral part of who she is, she said. “My commitment extends beyond personal achievements — it’s about continually pushing the boundaries of my own potential, elevating the Singapore flag on more summits, and inspiring others to transcend their perceived limits.”

Climbing the world’s tallest mountains calls for tremendous effort both physically and financially, said Vincere. She is now a disciplined and determined endurance athlete who is ‘Everest-ready’ at all times – she can climb 8,000m peaks and run 100km races with ease.

Mountaineering has taught her valuable lessons for life, and she shares her experiences and learnings at talks to inspire people. A key learning is the importance of putting in more than what seems necessary – attending meticulously to every detail while also accepting and being comfortable with factors beyond her control.

“It’s about identifying the real ‘mountains’ in life, setting one’s mind to them, and approaching them with relentless focus, perseverance, and resilience,” she explains.

Vincere is also driven by a desire to show that nothing is impossible, that everyone should “dare to pioneer and adventure, regardless of gender. I started my mountaineering journey from sea level. I aimed to showcase Singapore’s capabilities in high-altitude mountaineering, challenging the norms in a male-dominated sport.”

Then in 2015, in her final year as a mathematics student at the Nanyang Technological University, she spent a month as a volunteer teacher in Tanzania, helping children in need with their maths lessons. After this she did some exploring of Tanzania, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

The climb was a life-changing experience for Vincere. She felt alive in the mountains, and she discovered that she enjoyed the challenge of pushing her body to the limit. Bitten by the mountaineering bug, she continued to climb. In 2017 she summited Mera Peak in Nepal, and then she attempted Aconcagua in Argentina but failed to summit.

The failure led her to commit fully to mountaineering, even as she began to build her work career as an IT manager. In 2018 she embarked on a rigorous training programme and set her sights on summiting Mount Everest in 2020. But the Covid pandemic put paid to that plan.

Finally, in May 2023, Vincere got her chance to get to the top of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. Almost immediately after summitting Everest, she climbed Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world.

Then, in July 2023, Vincere was one of two Singapore women who made it to the top of K2, the second tallest mountain in the world and regarded by many as a much more challenging climb that Everest. The two of them were the first Singapore women to have climbed the two tallest mountains in the world.

It took them seven days of climbing to summit K2, with the chances of making it to the top getting dimmer and dimmer as weather worsened and they had to battle heavy snowfall, wind, and fog. But on 27 July the weather cleared, and the long line of climbers were able to push on and reach the summit.

Vincere has the additional accolade of being the first Singaporean and the first Southeast Asian to summit three of the world’s 8,000m and higher peaks – Everest, Lhotse, and K2 – within a single year.

Born in China, Vincere came to Singapore in 2009 on a scholarship. After graduating from NTU, she became a permanent resident in 2016 and five years later, in 2021, she became a Singapore citizen.

Mountaineering is now an integral part of who she is, she said. “My commitment extends beyond personal achievements — it’s about continually pushing the boundaries of my own potential, elevating the Singapore flag on more summits, and inspiring others to transcend their perceived limits.”

Climbing the world’s tallest mountains calls for tremendous effort both physically and financially, said Vincere. She is now a disciplined and determined endurance athlete who is ‘Everest-ready’ at all times – she can climb 8,000m peaks and run 100km races with ease.

Mountaineering has taught her valuable lessons for life, and she shares her experiences and learnings at talks to inspire people. A key learning is the importance of putting in more than what seems necessary – attending meticulously to every detail while also accepting and being comfortable with factors beyond her control.

“It’s about identifying the real ‘mountains’ in life, setting one’s mind to them, and approaching them with relentless focus, perseverance, and resilience,” she explains.

Vincere is also driven by a desire to show that nothing is impossible, that everyone should “dare to pioneer and adventure, regardless of gender. I started my mountaineering journey from sea level. I aimed to showcase Singapore’s capabilities in high-altitude mountaineering, challenging the norms in a male-dominated sport.”