Tackling life’s mountains one at a time

B7: Tell us about Oscar growing up: Your roots, what shaped you and your fondest memory.

OC: I was raised in the small town of Rundu; it’s not so small anymore but was when I grew up - in a family of four brothers. I was privileged that my senior primary school was a small school with few students per class. WHS is where I completed my high school career, and I can now see my old school from my office every day.

B7: Where does your love for numbers come from? Why make it a career?

OC: My natural inclination has been numbers and logic. If you think of the movie, “A Beautiful Mind”, I am one of those who get excited by trends and numbers. Numbers is my strength zone. Accounting principles and rules are universal, so it’s a career that one can practice globally and not be country-bound. With the chartered accountant (CA) designation, I can be based in London or Johannesburg or New York or Dubai.

B7: How old were you when you became FNB Namibia's chief financial officer (CFO)? To what do you attribute your relatively quick climb up the corporate ladder?

OC: At the age of 33 I took over as CFO for FNB Namibia. By then I had been in the group for more than five years, specialising in financial instruments accounting. It didn’t feel quick. Rather it felt I as if I waited forever, because I was at that stage working behind the scenes practising my trade, passionately doing my job as the assistant to the CFO. When the moment came, I had done my 10 000 hours.

B7: Talking about steep climbs: Why Kilimanjaro and Everest?

OC: I’ve had Kilimanjaro on my bucket list for a while, as something to do before I turned 40 and before global warming could melt the glaciers on its peak. It’s a magical place in Africa; you get to experience all four seasons in a week. It’s amazing to think a mountain on the equator is covered by ice. So, I went from no fitness to being ready in 90 days to the peak of Kilimanjaro just like that.

Mount Everest was a completely different game. I cycled up to Base Camp, which is a 1 000 km return trip. And by the way, I only bought my mountain bike for the purpose of the trip to Everest - I’m not really a cyclist. I discovered that the human body is capable of many incredible things.

From Kilimanjaro to Mount Everest, all done within 365 days.

B7: Are there similarities between keeping one of the mega financial institutions in Namibia on the right path and keeping on track tackling two of the highest mountains in the world?

OC: There are a few similarities indeed that come to mind: The teamwork required on such missions to the highest peak and keeping such institutions going, it is not a one-man exercise. Preparation is the key to success, having a plan, pacing oneself on the journey and knowing that it’s not a sprint – success takes time and dedication.

B7: Were there times when you thought of giving up? What kept you going?

OC: Mountain sickness hit me halfway up to Kilimanjaro, no correlation to age, gender or fitness level - the mountain tests each climber’s commitment to the quest.

I had initially gone on the journey as a pilgrimage, and when the mountain sickness struck, my faith kicked in. The choice was to keep going three days or give up and walk down three days. I chose to fight on and go three days up.

I had an incredible team with me; they carried a fair share of my backpack weight from that moment. The will to win keeps one going.

B7: What goes through one's mind during such gruelling challenges?

OC: I prepared for these journeys. By the time I set foot at the airport I had done probably double the height of Kilimanjaro in hiking and the distance to Everest Base Camp.

That in itself eliminates self-doubt, the fact that one is prepared. When your legs hurt and the pain kicks in, you ask yourself: “What am I doing so far from home?”

Seeing new sights everyday and meeting strangers along the way make it bearable somehow.

B7: What were your first thoughts when you reached your goal?

OC: WOW, I did it! I really did it!

It’s a mix of emotions. It’s an amazing feeling to tick something of that bucket list. At the summit moment, a tear did flow. Being up 6 km in the air by foot is an emotional rush. I felt like I was glowing on top of that summit.

B7: Namibians are facing their own Kilimanjaro and Everest with the current economic hardship. What is your message to them?

OC: There are lessons in all things we go through, everything is a cycle. This too shall pass.

In good times prepare for tough times. Tough times will come and readiness for such will be tested. This generation must learn that one cannot experience economic boom only, recessions and droughts do come along.

Having a plan counts and partnering with experts in the field is crucial. As individuals and as a country we need to save and prioritise- resources are limited at all times; that is the law of economics.

B7: You've ticked Kilimanjaro and Everest. What's next on your bucket list?

OC: The rest of the world’s highest peaks await.

Earth is such a beautiful place; each corner of this planet has something unique to offer. We have one lifetime to see God’s wonder.

My motto is the Olympic theme: “To be a giant, do giant things.”

I hope to see you soon on one of the seven summits.