Nikki Bart and her mother Cheryl Bart completed the Seven Summits challenge—climbing the highest mountains on each continent—over eight years. From 2001 to 2008, mother and daughter successfully climbed Mount Elbrus (Russia), Mount McKinley (United States), Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Aconcagua (Argentina), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), and Mount Kosciuszko (Australia). In May 2008, when they reached the summit of Mount Everest (Nepal), they became the first mother-daughter duo to have done so. Their Everest ascent also marked their completion of the Seven Summits, also making them the first mother and daughter to have completed the challenge. At the time, Nikki was in her sixth and final year of studying medicine. In 2008, Nikki and Cheryl Bart were jointly awarded the Australian Geographic Spirit of Adventure Award.