New Delhi, Dec 31 (.) Kaamya Karthikeyan, the 18-year-old daughter of an Indian Navy officer, has scripted history by becoming the youngest Indian and the second-youngest woman in the world to ski to the South Pole, completing the arduous expedition on December 27.
Kaamya covered nearly 115 km on foot, starting from 89 degrees South and skiing her way to the geographic South Pole while pulling a sled carrying her entire expedition load.
She endured extreme Antarctic conditions, including temperatures plunging to minus 30 degrees Celsius and gale-force winds, to achieve the remarkable feat.
Congratulating her achievement, the Indian Navy said in a social media post, “Indian Navy congratulates Kaamya Karthikeyan, 18-year-old daughter of a naval officer and alumna of the Navy Children School, who scripted history yet again by becoming the youngest Indian and the second-youngest female in the world to ski to the South Pole.”
The Navy added that Kaamya “braved harsh weather of minus 30 degrees Celsius and gale force winds to cover approximately 60 nautical miles (nearly 115 km) on foot, pulling a sled laden with her complete expedition load, to reach the South Pole on December 27.”
A student of Class XII, Kaamya is on a quest to become the youngest person ever to complete the prestigious Explorers Grand Slam, which involves climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents and skiing to both the North and South Poles.
Earlier, she had completed the Seven Summits Challenge, becoming the youngest Indian and the second-youngest woman in the world to scale Mount Everest from the Nepal side.
Her mountaineering feats include summiting Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Elbrus (Europe), Mount Kosciuszko (Australia), Mount Aconcagua (South America), Mount Denali (North America), Mount Everest (Asia), and Mount Vinson (Antarctica).
Kaamya reached the summit of Mount Vinson on December 24, accompanied by her father, Commander S Karthikeyan of the Indian Navy, to complete the Seven Summits Challenge before embarking on her South Pole ski expedition.
Praising her extraordinary journey, the Indian Navy said her achievement is “sure to inspire many of her generation to push beyond their boundaries” and wished her “fair winds and clear skies” as she eyes the final milestone of skiing to the North Pole.
. VAN ARN