Latest news with #Mt.Everest
Daily Tribune
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Tribune
Stronger Than Steel
The Night Bahrain Witnessed the Power of She 'My prosthetic arm was not my identity. I wanted to live without hiding — and that's when everything changed.' - Shaikha Al Shaiba 'I didn't just climb Everest. I carried the hopes of every person who's been told they can't.' - Dr. Arunima Sinha It's not every day you sit in an auditorium and feel your heartbeat sync with stories of sheer resilience. But that's exactly what happened at the Leela Jashanmal Memorial Lecture in Manama, an evening that turned into a masterclass on bravery, grace under fire, and what it truly means to rise, again and again. The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) auditorium was packed to capacity, buzzing with anticipation. I found myself surrounded by people from all walks of life, leaning forward, holding their breath, much like I did, as two incredible women took the stage and rewrote the definition of strength. The event, hosted by the Indian Ladies Association, was a tribute to courage in the face of adversity. But no introduction could have prepared us for the impact that Shaikha Al Shaiba and Padma Shri Dr. Arunima Sinha would have on our hearts. Bahrain Trailblazer Shaikha Al Shaiba's story didn't begin in a sports arena. It began in silence. In the shadows of judgment, stares, and whispers. With one arm, she knew early on that society would define her by her difference. What they didn't expect was that she would choose her own definition. 'My prosthetic arm was not my identity,' she told the crowd. 'I wanted to live without hiding — and that's when everything changed.'Her voice wavered only with passion as she recalled how she joined races, learned to swim from scratch, and pushed herself to compete in one of the world's toughest triathlons, Ironman 70.3. With just two months of training and no prior swimming experience, Shaikha completed a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike ride, and 21.1 km run, not to prove a point to the world, but to honor the strength within her. She trained in Bahrain's heat, battled through injury, and swam against waves colder than fear itself. She didn't just cross finish lines, she tore down barriers along the her biggest challenge came with loss. 'When my father passed away, my world went silent,' she said. 'I stopped living for a while. But then I remembered, I have a life to honor, and a legacy to build.' That's when she got back on the bike. Even after a near-fatal accident in Riyadh that broke her hand, head, and hip, she didn't stop. She showed up to work in a cast and later crossed another finish line in Paris. Why? Because resilience, as she said, 'is not about pretending the struggle doesn't exist, it's about rising anyway.' From Train Tracks to the Top of the World Then came a hush, the kind that settles right before a storm of emotion. Dr. Arunima Sinha, India's first female amputee to scale Mt. Everest, stepped forward. But before she became a mountaineer, she was a national-level volleyball player, and a victim of unthinkable violence. She was thrown off a moving train by robbers in 2011. Left on the tracks, limbs crushed, consciousness flickering and the cruel rhythm of 49 trains passing by. It was seven hours before help no anesthesia, she underwent an emergency leg amputation. But even as she lay in a hospital bed, riddled with rods and screws, she made a declaration no one could have predicted: 'I will climb Everest.' Arunima's journey wasn't just vertical, it was spiritual. She trained for 18 months, faced repeated rejections from sponsors, and endured brutal climbs with one prosthetic leg and a spine held together by determination. 'People only saw what I didn't have,' she said. 'They didn't see the fire inside.' In 2013, she reached the summit of Everest, not just for herself, but for everyone who's ever been told they couldn't. She now leads a foundation that supports amputees and underprivileged children in India, proving that healing isn't just personal, it's communal. That evening, under the soft lights of BIBF's auditorium, something magical happened. The crowd didn't just listen, they transformed. Tears were wiped quietly. Hands clapped louder. Hearts were realigned. The stories of Shaikha Al Shaiba and Dr. Arunima Sinha were not about tragedy. They were about triumph. About what happens when a woman decides that her narrative won't be written by were not just speeches. They were battle cries. They were love letters to the human spirit. They reminded us that our scars are not symbols of shame, they are stamps of survival. And as I walked out that evening into the cool Manama air, I realized something, I had forgotten to breathe. But I left with lungs full of courage, a heart full of awe, and a soul that had just witnessed greatness. Honoring Academic Excellence A special Academic Felicitation Ceremony recognized top-performing students from New India School, Asian School, New Millennium School, New Horizons, and The Indian School. Principals proudly joined their achievers on stage as their names were displayed, celebrating excellence and dedication in front of a distinguished audience. Shaikha won the Riyadh Duathlon (5krun, 20kbike, 2.5krun) Shaikh at the Dubai Fitness Challenge Snaps from Ironman 70.3 hel in Bahrain Dr. Arunima Sinha speaks at the Leela Jashanmal Memorial Lecture The world's first female amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013 and the first female amputee to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak of Antarctica. India's PM Modi congratulates 'pride of India' Arunima Sinha Opening address from ILA President Smitha Jensen
Daily Tribune
02-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
The Night Bahrain Witnessed the Power of She
From Train Tracks to the Top of the World Then came a hush, the kind that settles right before a storm of emotion. Dr. Arunima Sinha, India's first female amputee to scale Mt. Everest, stepped forward. But before she became a mountaineer, she was a national-level volleyball player, and a victim of unthinkable violence. She was thrown off a moving train by robbers in 2011. Left on the tracks, limbs crushed, consciousness flickering and the cruel rhythm of 49 trains passing by. It was seven hours before help no anesthesia, she underwent an emergency leg amputation. But even as she lay in a hospital bed, riddled with rods and screws, she made a declaration no one could have predicted: 'I will climb Everest.' Arunima's journey wasn't just vertical, it was spiritual. She trained for 18 months, faced repeated rejections from sponsors, and endured brutal climbs with one prosthetic leg and a spine held together by determination. 'People only saw what I didn't have,' she said. 'They didn't see the fire inside.' In 2013, she reached the summit of Everest, not just for herself, but for everyone who's ever been told they couldn't. She now leads a foundation that supports amputees and underprivileged children in India, proving that healing isn't just personal, it's communal. That evening, under the soft lights of BIBF's auditorium, something magical happened. The crowd didn't just listen, they transformed. Tears were wiped quietly. Hands clapped louder. Hearts were realigned. The stories of Shaikha Al Shaiba and Dr. Arunima Sinha were not about tragedy. They were about triumph. About what happens when a woman decides that her narrative won't be written by were not just speeches. They were battle cries. They were love letters to the human spirit. They reminded us that our scars are not symbols of shame, they are stamps of survival. And as I walked out that evening into the cool Manama air, I realized something, I had forgotten to breathe. But I left with lungs full of courage, a heart full of awe, and a soul that had just witnessed greatness.
GMA Network
24-05-2025
- GMA Network
'Live the Dream 2' narrates All-Filipina team's ascent to Mt. Everest summit in 2007
The experience of the three Filipina mountaineers who joined a 2007 All-Pinay Mt. Everest expedition has been immortalized in the book 'Live the Dream 2' by expedition leader Art Valdez. During the book launch at Rockwell Center, Makati, earlier this May, members of the Philippine Mount Everest Expedition team honored the legacy of Filipinas Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commander Carina Dayondon, Petty Officer First Class Noelle Wenceslao Penetrante, and Janet Belarmino, who made up the first and only all-female expedition to traverse the legendary Mt. Everest. In addition to the unveiling of the book, the launch was also held in the same spot where the expedition was announced 21 years prior, with Dayondon and Wenceslao in attendance. 'It's been 17 years, but every time I think back to that moment on the summit, I'm reminded that our story is every Filipina's story… It's about rising above doubt, and pushing past limits you didn't know you could break,' said Dayondon. Wenceslao added, 'We didn't climb Everest to be remembered—we climbed because we believed we could. And now, we hope other women will see that they can take on their own Everest, whatever it may be.' The All-Pinay Everest Expedition was a success after the All-Pinay expedition descended from the mountain in 2007, shortly after Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata, and Romi Garduce were able to place the Philippine flag at the Everest summit in 2006. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/JCB, GMA Integrated News
India Gazette
16-05-2025
- India Gazette
Home Minister Amit Shah commends ITBP jawans for Mount Makalu summit, cleanup drive
New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday congratulated the ITBP jawans for their successful expedition to Mount Makalu, the world's fifth highest peak. In his tweet, Amit Shah said, 'Congratulations to the ITBP jawans on their stellar success in summiting Mount Makalu, the fifth highest peak in the world.' He added, 'Braving extreme weather conditions, the ITBP personnel unfurled the Tiranga at the peak of the mountain and carried out a cleanliness drive inspired by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's Swacch Bharat Abhiyan and removed 150 kg of garbage.' Amit Shah also appreciated the personnel for their courage and commitment. Meanwhile, in a landmark achievement, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) successfully scaled Mt. Makalu (8,485 m), the world's fifth highest peak, on April 19, marking the first-ever ascent of the peak by any Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), the force said. The summit was part of ITBP's historic International Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Makalu and Mt. Annapurna (8,091 m), flagged off from ITBP Headquarters in New Delhi on March 21. This dual-peak mission, a first in the force's history, showcased ITBP's enduring legacy in high-altitude operations Led by Deputy Commandant Anoop Kumar Negi, with Deputy Commandant Nihas Suresh as deputy leader, the 12-member expedition team was split into two groups of six. The Makalu group recorded an 83 per cent summit success rate, with five climbers reaching the peak around 08:15 hrs on April 19. The successful summiteers included Assistant Commandant Sanjay Kumar, Head Constable (HC) Sonam Stobdan, HC Pradeep Panwar, HC Bahadur Chand, and Constable Vimal Kumar. Meanwhile, the Annapurna team battled extreme conditions, including blizzards and whiteouts, reaching an altitude of 7,940 meters--just 150 meters shy of the summit--before retreating safely at 14:45 hrs on the same day. In line with its 'Clean Himalaya - Save Glacier' campaign, the expedition collected 150 kg of non-biodegradable waste from high-altitude camps, reinforcing ITBP's environmental commitment. With the successful ascent of Mt. Makalu, the ITBP has now scaled six of the world's 14 eight-thousanders, including Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Dhaulagiri, Mt. Lhotse, and Mt. Manaslu. The force has conquered a total of 229 peaks to date, underscoring its unmatched expertise and resilience in some of the harshest terrains on earth. (ANI)
CBS News
05-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
U.S. climber who survived brain tumor dies trying to scale world's fifth-highest mountain
An American climber died attempting to scale the world's fifth-highest mountain, Makalu, in the Himalayas, his expedition organizer said Monday. It was the second death of this climbing season. Alexander Pancoe, 39, died at Camp 2 of the 27,838-foot mountain Sunday evening. "He had descended after an acclimatization rotation to Camp Three, and was not feeling well," Iswari Paudel of Himalayan Guides Nepal told the AFP news agency. Paudel said that attempts were being made to bring his body down. Pancoe, an accomplished climber and graduate of Northwestern University, had survived a brain tumor when he was younger, CBS Chicago reported. He had completed the Explorer's Grand Slam, a challenge that involves climbing the highest peak on each of the seven continents and then skiing to both the North and South Pole. Pancoe survived a near-fatal fall in 2018, when a piece of rock broke off in his hand, and he hit a sharp edge, CBS Chicago reported. He badly injured his leg and suffered frostbite before crawling to get cell service and being airlifted to safety. Pancoe was recently fighting chronic myeloid leukemia and was attempting to climb Makalu to raise funds for the pediatric blood cancer program of the Lurie Children's Hospital, based in Chicago. In 2019, CBS Chicago reported that he dedicated his climb of Mount Everest to Serena Lewis, a teenager with whom he shared a special bond — they had both survived brain tumors thanks to doctors at Lurie Children's Hospital. "It's going to be a huge challenge for me — climbing at altitude is plenty hard without a chronic ailment — but I look forward to rising to the challenge," he said on his website, Peaks of Mind. Summits of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse and Mt. Makalu, seen from summit of Gokyo Ri, at sunrise on Sept. 20, 2019. Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images An Austrian climber died while descending Nepal's Ama Dablam after a successful summit last month, the first death of the summit season. Nepal is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, and welcomes climbers from around the world every year during the spring and autumn climbing seasons. It has already issued nearly 500 permits for its mountains this season, including 214 for Everest.
