Kaamya Karthikeyan becomes world's youngest girl to conquer highest peaks on all seven continents - who is she?
Kaamya Karthikeyan, 17, is the youngest girl to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents, recently summiting Antarctica's Vinson Massif.
Kaamya Karthikeyan, 17, has become the youngest girl globally to conquer the highest peaks on all seven continents after successfully climbing Antarctica's Vinson Massif. Earlier this year, she also became the youngest Indian to summit Mt. Everest from the South side.
Who is Kaamya Karthikeyan?
A student at Navy Children School, Mumbai, Kaamya is the daughter of Commander S. Karthikeyan of the Indian Navy and Lavanya Karthikeyan, an early childhood educator. On May 20, 2024, she scaled the summit of Mt. Everest at the age of 16, becoming India’s youngest climber and the world’s second youngest to achieve this feat from the Nepal side.
She was also declared the youngest girl to have summited the highest peak on six continents barring Antarctica.
Her outstanding accomplishments have not only earned her the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest national honour for young achievers in 2021, but also accolades from the Prime Minister himself in his Mann-ki-Baat.
How Karthikeyan prepared for Antarctica's Vinson Massif voyage?
Kaamya trained intensely to tackle the vagaries of Mt. Vinson Massif, the highest peak in Antarctica, standing at 16,050 feet. Her expedition to this peak at the remotest location of the planet required enduring extreme weather conditions, freezing temperatures with the mercury dipping to -40℃, and unpredictable winds reaching unimaginable speeds.
Reflecting on her adventure, Kaamya Karthikeyan had earlier remarked, “Summiting Mt. Vinson Massif is the befitting climax of a dream I’ve pursued for years. It’s the culmination of my journey across the seven continents. ”
“With Bisleri Vedica’s support, I’m feeling not just empowered for the endeavour but also reminded of the purity and strength that’s needed for such a challenge. Through mission SAHAS, my journey of the Seven Summits, I hope to inspire young Indians to believe in their dreams, to push limits, and to always aim for higher ground.”
Bisleri Vedica backed to Kaamya for the voyage.