She is only 19 years old but Krushnaa Patil has already become the youngest woman in India to climb the Mount Everest in 2009.
And now, she is on a 7-Summit Quest, attempting to climb the tallest peak in every continent in the world. DNA chats with Krushnaa before she heads off to Australia on her next quest…
At such a young age, what drove you to climb mountains?
People may believe that climbing mountains is risky for girls. My uncle is in the army, so it has been a norm for my family to go to the mountains every summer vacation. It would never have been possible for me to do a 9-5 job.
Didn’t your parents want you to grow up like a normal girl and take up a passion which is not so risky?
I am so glad my parents understood my passion. They have supported me throughout. It’s actually my family who took the risk of taking up a loan of Rs 30 lakh from the bank so that I could climb Mt Everest.
Don’t you think you are missing out on your college life and studies?
Not many people get to see the world as I am seeing it today. I have learned more than what I have missed. When I grow old, I will be satisfied that I followed my heart and passion in younger days.
Has climbing changed you as a person in any way?
It has taught me the importance of life itself. After I climbed Mt Everest, my parents have started taking me more seriously in life. At an award ceremony, I happened to meet Vidya Balan and she actually said on the stage — “I feel like a ‘dwarf’ in front of this young girl”.
Are you single? What kind of a guy would you want in your life?
I am definitely single. I would want a guy who is open to adventure. Though I would want the guy to be a mountaineer like me, he must be able to sense the extremity I go through.
