Emma Ukali is a professional climber and adventurer who has been described by others as “a very fastidious woman”. She is described as loving, caring, generous, open, honest, courageous, committed, hard working, sincere, warm, appreciative and determined. She was born in Ogden, Utah, USA, and raised in Salt Lake City, UT. At the age of 14, Emma started to train as a ski instructor in order to pursue an international sports scholarship. Emma quickly became a very good all-round athlete, competing in skiing, climbing, rowing, cross country running, track and field, and rowing for both boys and girls. As a member of the national team, she won the gold medal at the World University Games in 1994.
Following this, Emma moved abroad to teach English in Japan, and there she gained a reputation as an outdoor instructor. By doing this, she came into contact with the many people who enjoy the outdoors and by doing this, she came to realise the huge scope of sport and outdoor pursuits. Emma’s then studies focused on the science of movement and she became a world leader in researching the biomechanics of snowboarding. In this area of study, she came to learn about her unique abilities to increase speed and strength whilst using her body’s energy to do so.
Sport in itself has many different aspects, including health and physical fitness, mental and social aspects, and even the physical aspect of it. Sport also teaches you to concentrate and be passionate about your sport and provides you with a fun and exciting way to exercise and challenge your mind and body. Emma’s commitment to her studies in Nutritional Biology focused on finding a relationship between nutrition and physical performance. Following this research, she developed a diet and nutritional plan to help people lose weight, to build muscle and bone density, to improve their cardiovascular health and to increase their brain function. Emma Ukali’s passion for her sport and her achievements within the confines of her Nutritional Biology degree have made her a popular speaker and a valuable contributor to numerous educational and mentoring programmes both in the UK and internationally.