Ilina Arsova

Ilina Arsova (born July 31,1982) is a Macedonian mountaineer, artist and skier who has climbed the highest mountains on each continent, completing the Seven Summits challenge1 and becoming one of the 70 women worldwide who have done so2. She became the first Macedonian woman and the second on the Balkans to climb the highest peaks on each of the seven continents in the world. As an artist she has exhibited her artworks in Macedonia, Malaysia, U.S., China and other countries around Europe, Africa and South America, representing mountain landscapes and focusing on ecological issues and controversies around the world. She is a passionate environmental activist, author, and creative producer of the documentary project This Is HERstory, which promotes female athletes in action sports.
==Early life and education==
Ilina Arsova grew up with a passion for sports and learned karate, swimming and parachuting as a child. She enjoyed hiking in Vodno, a mountain near her hometown, with her parents and later discovered paragliding and rock climbing as a teenager. She started her mountain sports career in 2006, when she climbed Mont Blanc as part of the Red Cross emergency mountain rescue team. Since then, she has devoted herself to various activities such as alpinism, freeride skiing, flying, rock climbing, and mountain biking. Graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in 2005 became a member of the Association of Fine Artists of Macedonia. She also has a master’s degree in Languages, Business and International Trade from the same university and the University of Orleans in France. Ilina Arsova is currently a Ph.D. student and a Graduate Teaching Associate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville7, at the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies.
==Mountain Climbing Career==
Arsova began her career as an alpinist and professional athlete after climbing Mont Blanc with the Red Cross emergency mountain rescue team. This inspired her to pursue sports more seriously. In 2011, she climbed Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, which was the beginning of her lifelong dream of completing the Seven Summits project.
As one of the 70 women worldwide, who have completed the Seven Summits challenge by 2019, she has climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents. Her achievements include being the first Macedonian woman to summit Mount Everest (8848 m.), the highest peak in the world, together with Aconcagua (6962 m.), Denali (6196 m.), Matterhorn (4487 m.), Vinson (4892 m.), Punjak Jaya (4884 m) which put her on second place on the Balkans to complete the 7 summits.
An important lifechanging experience for Ilina Arsova is the 2012 nomination of the US embassy in Skopje to participate in the Global Sports Mentoring Program, a program of the U.S. Department of State and espnW, implemented by the Center for Sports, Peace, and Society, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The program aims to empower women through sports and Arsova was identified as one of the 17 women from around the world to be accepted to the program in the inaugural year of 2012. As part of her action plan after the program she founded IKAR hut, the center for art and outdoor education, she supported the citizen activism group Ohrid SOS, promoted Telemark Macedonia and Balkan Telemark start-up organization and co-funded TAKT, (Together Advancing Common Trust) non-profit organization where she continued the legacy of the GSMP by nominating the second generation of GSMP delegate from Macedonia in 2016. 
==Seven Summits==
She started her journey in 2011 with Aconcagua in South America where she became the first Macedonian woman to ascend the highest peak of the continent at 6962 m. Doing it solo in six days, without any sponsors, guides, support company, or other logistics, she faced extremely bad weather, with a temperature of -37 C on the summit, lots of snow, wind, and low visibility. Despite these challenges, she reached the summit and safely descended to the high-altitude camp. Her experience, stamina and physical preparedness helped her achieve this feat.
After 10 peaks over 5000 m., and 2 close to 7000 m., decent rock climbing and rope access experience, on May 23, at 3:15 am she reached the summit of Mount Everest and become the first Macedonian women to climb Mount Everest. With this achievement, she pushed the level of Macedonian mountaineering and alpinism further, especially among women. As a tourist guide and owner of a hospitality service in Ohrid, she is constantly promoting the mountain sports and hiking potential of her country. Through her high-altitude journeys, she speaks up for all women and girls that no dream is impossible. She shares her story through education projects, guest lectures and school visits across the country and abroad. Numerous national and international awards recognized her achievements and the inspiration acknowledged by the local communities.
In between she also climbed Kilimanjaro in Africa, Everest in Asia, Elbrus in Europe, Denali in North America, and Puncak Jaya in Oceania.
No.	Elevation 	Mountain range 	Continent 	Date of
summut
1 	Aconcagua 	6,961 m (22,838 ft)	South America	February, 2011
2 	Kilimanjaro 	5,895 m (19,341 ft)	Africa 	March, 2012
3 	Mount Everest	8,848 m (29,029 ft)	Asia 	May, 2013
4 	Elbrus 	5,642 m (18,510 ft)	Europe 	June, 2014
5 	Denali 	6,194 m (20,322 ft)	North America	May, 2016
6 	Puncak Jaya 	4,884 m (16,024 ft)	Oceania 	January, 2019
7 	Vinson Massif	4,892 m (16,050 ft)	Antarctica 	December, 2019
==Artistic Career==
As an artist and an adventurer, Arsova creates artworks inspired by her mountain experiences and her personal journey and challenges as a female athlete in action sports. She uses her experiences as a mountaineer as a source of inspiration for her art, as well as a way to raise awareness about ecological issues and human interventions on nature.
She works with watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media, and paints landscapes, portraits, and other figurative representation of socio cultural issues and controversies. Ilina Arsova’s art is not only a form of self-expression, but also a way of raising awareness and inspiring others to pursue their dreams. She has donated some of her artworks to support humanitarian causes and environmental protection initiatives. S
he also produces documentaries, books, and murals that promote environmental awareness and social justice. One of her projects is This is HERstory, a documentary that showcases the stories of women who have achieved remarkable feats in sports and life. She founded Ilina Arsova Art & Adventure, a platform that offers art and adventure activities for people who want to connect with nature and themselves. Through this platform, she organizes outdoor camps, educational events, and team-building activities for children and adults.
====Art Exhibitions====
Ilina Arsova has exhibited her artworks in Macedonia and abroad, in solo and group exhibitions. Selected solo and group shows: 
* 2023 Converge. Group exhibition at Dogwood Art, Knoxville, Tennessee 2023 
* 2023 Art & Sport for Social Change. Celebrating “Strong Women Better World” book, by the Center for Sport, Piece, and Society. Frieson Black Cultural Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 
* 2020 Back to Zero, solo art show, Youth Cultural Center Skopje 2020 
* 2020 White, solo art show at NLB gallery, Skopje 
* 2020 Re-connect with Nature, online exhibition at Saatchi Art Gallery, paintings inspired by mountain landscapes from different continents.
* 2018 ZERO, solo art show, Prima Center, Berlin. The Zero is a performance art project at Prima Center Berlin that explored the concept of zero as a symbol of spiritual growth and hope. The project featured a female nude in a fetus position that traveled from the Pacific Ocean to Antarctica, highlighting environmental and human rights issues.
* 2017 This is HERstory, a documentary project and exhibition at Kino Kultura, Skopje
* 2015 SPAM, a solo exhibition at the Cultural Center Ohrid, where she exhibited artworks made from recycled materials and natural elements that reflect her ecological respect and sustainability, 
* Other: 2014 Langkawi Art Expo, Malaysia, 2013 Biennial of Young Artists, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, 2011 RETROMENADA, National gallery, Skopje, 2010 The smiles of ST. Solo show at the French alliance of Sao Tome and Principe, 2009 Shanghai Art Expo, 2008 Malaysia Art Expo.
==This is HERstory Project==
Founded, developed, and produced by Ilina Arsova, HERstory is a documentary project that celebrates female athletes in action sports and their inspiring stories from around the globe. It consists of a series of short videos that feature women from different countries and backgrounds who are involved in mountain sports, such as climbing, skiing, paragliding and snowboarding. 
The project also showcases the artworks and documentaries of Ilina Arsova and other female artists and athletes through exhibitions, workshops and events. Various organizations and institutions, such as the U.S. Department of State, the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society, the Macedonian Mountaineering Federation and Burton snowboards have supported and recognized the project. Its mission is to create a worldwide network of inspiring women athletes who are willing to share their encouraging stories through a documentary video cycle This is HER story.
==Books==
Her first book, “Mountaineering” (2020), is a guide for beginners and enthusiasts who want to learn more about the sport of climbing mountains. It covers topics such as equipment, techniques, safety, ethics, and environmental issues. It also includes stories and tips from her own experiences as a mountaineer.
Her second book, “The Seven” (2022), is a memoir of her journey to climb the highest seven peaks on seven continents: Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Denali, Elbrus, Vinson Massif, Carstensz Pyramid, and Everest. She shares her challenges, joys, fears, and insights from each expedition. She also reflects on her personal growth and motivation as a woman climber.
==Awards and Honors==
* 2023 Recognition for accomplishment by the United Macedonian Diaspora, Las Vegas, Jan ‘23
* 2022 European woman of the year award, by the EU Ambassador, Macedonia.
* 2021 “13 November” award, by the Macedonian sports union and the City of Skopje for climbing the Seven Summits.
* 2020 Athlete of the year, by the council of the city of Skopje 
* 2020 “Dare Dzambaz” highest award by the Federation of mountain sports
* 2019 Zlatna bubamara MTV award 
* 2014 “Shield of courage”, recognition by Macedonian Diaspora in Toronto, for becoming the first Macedonian woman to summit Mount Everest.
s promotion. She joined the Global Sports Mentoring Program in 2012, where Donna Carpenter, the president of Burton Snowboards, mentored her and taught 
==volunteering work and environmentalism==
Besides being an artist and an athlete, Arsova is also a volunteer and activist who works on various projects related to environmental protection, gender equality, outdoor education and sportier leadership development, women’s empowerment and business skills in the sports industry. 
Her artworks, which have been exhibited in various countries, also incorporate ecological themes and recycled materials. She works to preserve the Ohrid Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in North Macedonia that faces environmental degradation due to human activities. 
She also organizes and leads workshops, camps and activities that educate and inspire young people about nature, adventure and responsibility. In 2021, she volunteered with ClimbAID, a non-profit organization that introduces climbing sports to refugee adolescents in Greece.
Category:1982 births
Category:Macedonian people
Category:University of Orléans alumni
Category:University of Tennessee alumni
Category:Mountaineers
Category:Artists
Category:Skiers