Treading testing terrains

MANY find a certain appeal in adventures, especially chasing the highs of trekking. But not all who do find themselves up for the task of trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro-the world's highest freestanding mountain, located in Tanzania, Africa.

- NIDHARSHANA RAJU

This is largely because the trek involves climbing high altitudes, mostly without allowing one a day to rest, and the summit day can entail 15 hours of trekking upto 1,000 m in elevation where one will only have half the oxygen level that is normally available at sea level.

But Jayashree Vijay Mohan, who has been recovering from a stroke since 2021, geared up to climb this mount.

Determined to expand the definition of recovery and resilience, she ended up creating not one, but two Guinness World Records Fastest Ascent in five days and 6.5 hours and Fastest Descent in 10.26 hours, in the CIH (Coordination Impairment - Hemiplegia) Female category.

Now, four months later, Jayashree says she does not wish to contain her story's overarching theme to be "overcoming adversity for applause", but rather hopes it resonates with reclaiming confidence and agency after a lifealtering event. Jayashree who juggles different roles including being a mother and an entrepreneur, opens up about her recovery, and the climb. Excerpts follow:

How do you perceive the things that were happening around you at the hospital after the stroke?