About Eva

Eva Steinwald was born and raised in Germany by Czech parents. At 19, she moved to the United States. Ten years later, she married Patrick, and they shared 26 wonderful years together. When Pat passed away unexpectedly in 2018, Eva’s life changed forever.

Grief brought fear, uncertainty, and many difficult days. It also taught Eva how precious and fleeting life truly is. She made a decision to move forward, one small step at a time, and fully embrace the life still in front of her.

What began with hiking smaller mountains slowly became something much bigger. At age 60, Eva set an extraordinary goal: to complete the Seven Summits by age 70 while raising awareness about climate change through her 7 Summits x 70 project.

Eva summited Aconcagua and Denali in 2024. On May 18, 2025, at age 63, she stood on the summit of Mount Everest, briefly becoming the oldest American woman to reach the top of the world. She continued her journey by summiting Kilimanjaro in January 2026 and Mont Blanc in June 2026. With five summits completed, Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia remain.

But Eva’s journey has never been only about reaching summits. It is about discovering what becomes possible when we stop allowing fear, age, grief, and self-doubt to decide the direction of our lives.

Eva was never fearless. She faced setbacks, questioned whether she belonged on those mountains, and experienced moments when she wanted to stop. She learned that courage does not mean living without fear. It means taking the next step while fear walks beside you.

Through her journey, Eva discovered the meaning behind Can’t. Must. Did.‍ ‍Can’t is a belief. Must is a decision. Did is the life shaped by that decision.

Moving forward, Eva’s goal is to share her journey with others and help them recognize that they have a choice. They can remain where they are, or they can take the first step toward changing their lives. She wants others to realize that there is more to life, more within themselves, and more still waiting to be discovered.

Her story is proof that profound loss can become the beginning of new purpose. It is never too late to dream again, challenge yourself, and discover who you are still capable of becoming.

One step. One breath. Just don’t stop.

Can’t. Must. Did.