Selena Gomez to play first openly-gay woman to complete the Seven Summits challenge

Selena Gomez will be playing accomplished mountaineer Silvia Vasquez-Lavado in an upcoming film about the explorer.

Silvia, 46, is the first openly-gay woman to complete the Seven Summits challenge, and the first Peruvian woman to summit Mt. Everest.

Selena, 28, will be starring in In the Shadow of the Mountain, a film adaptation of Silvia’s upcoming memoir of the same name, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which shared news of the casting on Wednesday.

Silvia completed the Seven Summits, a challenge to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, in 2018. 

It took years for Silvia to complete the challenge, which the mountaineer was inspired to do following the death of her partner Lori, according to REI. 

Upon completing her final climb, Silvia reflected on her momumental achievement on Instagram, where she posted a photo of herself atop Denali.   

‘As I summitted Denali, I became the first openly gay woman who completed the 7 summits, and thus my very special dedication to equality around the world and to love is love!’ she wrote in the caption.  

‘The tallest mountains in the world don’t discriminate and if anything they’ve welcomed me and my honoring for Lori with open arms. Here is to the fight for equality, to enduring Love Is Love! .’ 

In addition to her climbing accomplishments, Silvia has also been helping abuse survivors cope through mountaineering.

A survivor of childhood assault and neglect herself, Silvia says climbing has helped her heal.   

Now she helps other women who have suffered abuse through her organization Courageous Girls, which she was inspired to launch after climbing Aconcagua.

Silvia was in her tent when she heard a voice, urging her to help other women in need of healing.

‘Silvia, you have to keep on this journey,’ the voice told her, according to REI. ‘You also made a social promise. You’re going to bring survivors of sexual violence from San Francisco [where she was living] and Nepal to the base of Everest so they can find the courage and strength, the same way you did.’

Silvia’s memoir In the Shadow of the Mountain will be published in winter 2022, and the film will be written and directed by Elgin James.