I conquered Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. Some might question its significance, thinking, ‘What’s the big deal? Many have been there before.’ Let me clarify, after Everest, I descended to tackle Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest peak. It was an incredibly challenging journey, and I’m proud to be the only daughter from our country to achieve this feat in just 60 hours.
In Haryana, besides parental restrictions, rural opinions abound. People often discuss which mountain I’ve climbed. Even something as simple as wearing shorts while playing doesn’t sit well with them. They comment, ‘Look at our daughter in these clothes.’ My achievements had to be kept hidden, not even appearing in newspapers.
Surprisingly, I used to compete in Taekwondo and won a national-level gold medal. Though elated, I always feared my parents’ disapproval.
Upon reaching Everest, I found bags of coarse grains, a part of our honorable Prime Minister NarendraModi’s 2023 vision. It aimed to promote coarse grains in the market for increased profits while reducing expenses.
Nowadays, in Haryana, I’m known as ‘Drone Didi’ after training as a drone pilot. This involves spraying a few millilitres of substance per acre, greatly benefiting farmers. It’s crucial to explore how to maximize productivity with minimal resources and time. For an athlete, diet and resources are vital. Securing sponsorships for resources is critical; without them, we lose motivation. If we’re disheartened, how can we inspire the next generation?
I greatly admire Santosh Yadav from our state, a two-time Everest conqueror. I aspire to do the same. However, if it requires a cost of almost 40 lakh rupees for this campaign, I’d reconsider. What more can a farmer family do than invest more than a lifetime’s earnings in my mission? Despite this, I’m content to have completed this journey alongside mountaineers from other countries.
The writer is a mountaineer who holds records for completing the challenging journeys of Everest and Mount Lhotse in record time.