Meet Shareez Bagaria, a modern-day adventurer on an extraordinary journey to scale some of the world\u2019s most challenging mountains.Not just for their summits, but to remind us all that the highest peaks we climb are often the ones within ourselves.<\/p>\n
At 46, many people are looking to slow down. But Shareez Bagaria is doing just the opposite. The Hillcrest-based life coach, mother of two, children\u2019s book author and former provincial athlete is strapping on her crampons and heading to Russia this month for her second attempt at Mount Elbrus – the highest peak in Europe.<\/p>\n
For her, it\u2019s not just another climb but the second step in her personal quest to conquer The Seven Summits – the highest mountain on each continent.<\/p>\n
But scaling mountains is just one-way Shareez embodies courage. Through her life coaching business, her writing and her adventurous life, she\u2019s showing others, especially women, that it\u2019s never too late to rise, rebuild and reach new heights.<\/p>\n
Shareez\u2019s journey began in corporate HR, where she spent more than two decades leading, developing and mentoring others. Armed with a bachelor\u2019s degree in industrial psychology, she found herself increasingly drawn to the personal side of people\u2019s growth. \u201cI\u2019ve always loved telling someone, \u2018You\u2019re amazing – keep going\u2019,\u201d she says. That instinct evolved into a new career … life coaching.<\/p>\n
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Today, she helps people navigate everything from identity and purpose to trauma and transitions. Her approach is deeply rooted in compassion, kindness and faith. As a Christian life coach, she often integrates scripture and biblical principles – not to preach, but to provide purpose. \u201cFaith is universal,\u201d she says. \u201cWe all believe in something. If clients are open to it, we lean into that faith to reframe their doubts and fears.\u201d<\/p>\n
She describes coaching as one of the most rewarding careers out there. \u201cYou see the direct impact you have on someone\u2019s life. And sometimes, all a person needs is a shift in perspective to unlock their full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n
One client\u2019s story still brings tears to her eyes. \u201cI was coaching a young woman who had endured a traumatic childhood,\u201d Shareez recalls. \u201cShe became a people-pleaser with no boundaries, especially in relationships, and even attempted suicide.\u201d Her mother, having experienced her own transformation through coaching, gifted her daughter a course with Shareez. \u201cIt was life changing. By the end of the programme she had completed her BSc Degree, landed an internship, and, more importantly, began taking care of herself. She finally understood the power of \u2018no\u2019 and the necessity of self-love.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to one-on-one coaching, she co-hosts Moments with Tops and Shareez, a powerful quarterly brunch series for women in the Upper Highway area. What started as a collaboration with local entrepreneur Tops Mkhwanazi, who promotes authentic connection, has grown into something profound.<\/p>\n
Themes like Purpose in the Pain and Showing Up Imperfectly draw women from all walks of life to spark raw and real conversations. \u201cThere is power in collective storytelling,\u201d Shareez says. \u201cPeople want to be heard. And once they are, healing begins.\u201d<\/p>\n
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When it comes to the call of the summit and conquering mountains, inside and out, Shareez says it all started with a hike in the Drakensberg.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved the sense of peace and challenge.\u201d That love soon evolved into a goal: to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. And she did in 2022, and the adventure bug bit hard. Mount Kenya followed in 2023. And now Mount Elbrus looms ahead.<\/p>\n
Set at a punishing 5,642m in Russia\u2019s Caucasus Mountains, Elbrus is notorious for its severe cold, unpredictable snowstorms, and energy-sapping altitude. \u201cSummit day involves a similar gain in height to Kilimanjaro,\u201d she explains, \u201cbut the icy terrain and heavy boots make it far more demanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her first attempt in 2023 fell just 150m short of the summit due to weather – but the setback only sharpened her resolve. \u201cI cried. Then I said, \u2018I\u2019m coming back.\u2019 Failure, to me, is just feedback. Every climb teaches you something new.\u201d<\/p>\n
This month, provided the unrest between Russia and the Ukraine doesn\u2019t hinder her plans, she will climb solo with a Russian guide. \u201cI\u2019ve done all my climbs alone so far. I actually love the solitude. It lets me focus on the mountain and the moment.\u201d Training physically and preparing mentally, she\u2019s ready to dig deep. \u201cYou can\u2019t always plan for everything. But you can choose to keep moving – one step at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Shareez, mountain climbing is more than a physical challenge \u2013 it\u2019s a metaphor for life and her coaching philosophy. \u201cWe are all climbing metaphorical mountains in life. We carry emotional backpacks. We journey through valleys where it\u2019s cold and lonely and then find ourselves on mountain tops where the views are spectacular. Sometimes we walk alone. Sometimes with others. But one of the greatest lessons the mountains have taught me is to keep my head down, not focus on the summit, and just take the next step. Life is exactly like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was midnight, freezing and dark. I had barely slept. That climb tested everything in me,\u201d she remembers. \u201cBut I kept going. And I wanted Luna, and other kids, to know they can too.\u201d<\/p>\n The book, inspired by her daughter and dedicated to building mental strength in children, is available at major retailers including Exclusive Books, Bargain Books, Takealot, Loot, and Lapa for R160.<\/p>\n And the message goes deeper. \u201cFor parents, we need to let our children fail sometimes \u2013 drop the ball, put on banana feet shoes, and mess up. Don\u2019t bubble-wrap them emotionally or physically,\u201d Shareez urges. \u201cI\u2019ve been guilty of it too. But there are greater lessons in failure than in success. Children are braver than you think and stronger than you know. Resilience is a muscle \u2013 the more you use it, the more it grows.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether she\u2019s in a coaching session or halfway up a snow-capped mountain, Shareez\u2019s message is clear. Don\u2019t let fear or comfort dictate your life. \u201cToo many people stay stuck because they think it\u2019s safer. But growth comes from discomfort. If I want to inspire people, I must live that truth – not just talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s why the Seven Summits challenge is her way of showing that with discipline, grit and faith anyone can do hard things. \u201cI\u2019ve seen blind women summit Everest. I\u2019ve seen amputees on Denali. So what\u2019s my excuse? What\u2019s yours?\u201d<\/p>\n She hopes her children remember her as \u201ckind but tough, strong yet compassionate,\u201d and as someone who didn\u2019t waste the gifts God gave her. \u201cWhen my time comes, I want to hear Him say, \u2018Well done.\u2019 That\u2019s the legacy I want.\u201d<\/p>\n As she is in the final throes of prepping to climb Mount Elbrus, Shareez is already showing the world that resilience isn\u2019t just a buzzword – it\u2019s a way of life. Her story reminds us that success isn\u2019t measured by titles or trophies, but by impact, intention, and the courage to keep climbing – no matter how steep the path.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, Shareez plans to keep climbing – both literally and figuratively. \u201cThis year, I also did the Namib 100 – hiking 100km across the desert in Namibia. It was a completely different challenge: sand dunes instead of snow.\u201d With more adventure trips on the cards and a growing coaching practice, her journey is far from over.<\/p>\n Details: You can follow Shareez on socials: <\/em>IG: @metamorphosis_life_coaching_ and @lunalearns_2309 <\/em>or FB: Shareez Bagaria and Metamorphosis Life Coaching<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Meet Shareez Bagaria, a modern-day adventurer on an extraordinary journey to scale some of the world\u2019s most challenging mountains.Not just for their summits, but to remind us all that the highest peaks we climb are often the ones within ourselves. At 46, many people are looking to slow down. But Shareez Bagaria is doing just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":45132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[11645,11646,11644,4800],"class_list":{"0":"post-45118","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personalities","8":"tag-kilimanjaro","9":"tag-metamorphasis-life-coaching","10":"tag-moments-with-tops-and-shareez","11":"tag-shareez-bagaria"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-13-at-17.41.50_98a90368-320x400.jpg\")
As a mother to Shay (15) and Luna (8), Shareez sees her adventures as life lessons for her children – and for others. That\u2019s part of what inspired her children\u2019s book, Luna\u2019s Journey: A Tale of Grit and Courage<\/em>. It follows a little girl who faces fear, self-doubt and a few mean classmates, only to discover that she is stronger than she knows – echoing real moments from Shareez\u2019s own Kilimanjaro summit night.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/07\/IMG_3555-267x400.jpg\")
Despite her many roles – coach, author, mountaineer, businesswoman – Shareez remains grounded in faith and family. \u201cMy identity isn\u2019t in what I achieve,\u201d she reflects. \u201cIt\u2019s in who God created me to be.\u201d Her late father, a dedicated teacher and school principal, passed down his love of books and unwavering work ethic – values she now lives out and passes on.<\/p>\n