SCALING HEIGHTS

Strong and spirited, that's mountaineer Dr Arunima Sinha for you. Read her inspiring story of overcoming the hardest battle of her life to get on top of the world, literally.

- Kalwyna Rathod

Mountaineering is a game where no one else is going to buck you up; you have to motivate yourself and climb the 25 obstacle on your own," says Indian mountaineer Dr Arunima Sinha, recepient of the Padma Shri, which is the fourth highest civilian award bestowed on the citizens of the country. "Mountaineering gives you the strength to fight, and makes you a confident leader for life, for no matter how bad the circumstances."

Born in Kadipur, Uttar Pradesh in 1989, Sinha made history in 2013 when she hoisted our country's flag atop the highest peak of the world, becoming the world's first woman amputee to do so. After scaling Mount Everest, she went on to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, Mount Aconcagua in South America, and the Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia. Her last climb was Mount Vinson in Antarctica, which she summited in January 2019. For her sporting successes, she has been conferred with several other accolades such as the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the First Lady Award, and the Malala Award.

A FEAT UNMATCHED