Meltem Günay
Meltem Aydın, who has been manufacturing cold storage panels and doors for 30 years at the company she founded with her husband in Adana, inspires women not only with her success in the business world but also with her work. A member of the Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Association (KAGİDER) and Turkey’s only women-focused investment platform, Arya Women’s Investment Platform, as well as a founding member of the Adana Businesswomen’s Association, Aydın climbed Mount Ararat, one of the world’s most challenging mountains, last weekend. Aydın, who reached the summit of Mount Ararat, known as “Turkey’s roof,” shared her success and the path to the summit with Patronlar Dünyası.
“I love being there when there’s a challenge.”
In addition to her successful career, Meltem Aydın has also made a name for herself as an athlete, having participated in marathons and ultramarathons across Turkey and around the world for the past 10 years. Last year, Aydın climbed Mount Annapurna in Nepal for the first time, reaching an altitude of 5,465 meters. She explained that she set her goal for this year as Mount Ararat, saying, “Why not?”
We started with 15 people, and 4 people reached the summit.
Proud to have completed the summit after a three-day climb and a one-day descent, Aydın recounted:
“It was a very difficult course, but when you see your body’s limits and what you’ve accomplished, you want to push those limits even further. You strive to do better. Once you’ve done it once, you think, ‘Why not?’”
Fifteen of us started the climb. We set off for the summit at 11 p.m. and reached it at around 7 a.m. After 4,000 meters, our water froze and we were left without any. After 5,000 meters, everything was frozen. As a team, every time someone turned back on the route we were taking, it actually dampened our motivation a little. We thought, ‘They’re turning back, maybe I should give up too, is it enough, should I not go any further?’. Our bodies reacted differently with the altitude. For example, one of our friends claimed to have fallen asleep while walking. Witnessing all this and maintaining that motivation was extremely difficult, but I had said from the beginning, ‘I will reach that summit.’ I did it by keeping my focus, taking small but sure steps, and always looking ahead.”
“Good job, Meltem!”
When she took her first step toward the summit, Aydın recounted telling herself, “Well done, Meltem, you did it.” She continued, “I felt proud of myself. The feeling of having climbed Turkey’s most challenging mountain was incredible. I am a female entrepreneur, and it feels great to show that women can overcome all obstacles and to hear them say, ‘You inspire us.’
When I said I was going to climb Mount Ararat, people immediately called me crazy and asked if I could do it at my age. But I love being where the challenges are. We women don’t like to give up.”
After this summit, Aydın has set himself a new goal. His goal for next year is Mount Damavand, Iran’s highest peak.
SURVIVING IN THE BUSINESS WORLD IS VERY DIFFICULT
Explaining that his life motto is “if someone else can do it, so can I,” Aydın said, “I don’t like giving up. I’ve been doing business as a businessman in a place like Adana for 30 years. When I first started, they called me ‘auntie’ or ‘big sister,’ but now we’ve reached the Meltem Hanım stage. It was very difficult to exist in the business world in the provinces. We organized the women in Adana and founded the Adana Businesswomen’s Association. With what we have done, we are giving hope to the next generation and becoming role models.”