David Lim is best known in Singapore for leading the first Singapore Mt Everest Expedition in 1998 which succeeded in placing two members on the summit. The climb captured the imagination of the entire country and helped reset the parameters of what could be achieved by the small, flat, tropical island nation.
A week after his return from Everest, he was totall paralysed by the rare nerve disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Artificially ventilated for 42 days, he spent six months in hospital before returning home. Though he was partially disabled from the disorder, he made a dramatic comeback to climbing the world's great mountains, and returned once more to Everest in 2001.
He described these achievements in two books - 'Mountain to Climb' and more recently, 'Against Giants' (2003).
David was educated in Singapore and Britain and graduated with a law degree from Cambridge University. He worked in London for a number of corporations before returning to Singapore in 1991.
In the corporate world, David spent nearly a decade in the media industry with positions in marketing, journalism management and multimedia.
David's speaking style is engaging and light, even when dealing with issues such as embracing personal catastrophe and change. He draws powerful parallels between the world of mountaineering and the self-leadership and team dynamics needed to succeed in the business world. He still climbs and leads expeditions to the great mountains across the roof of the world.
