Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu

Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu (Hindi: रीना कौशल धर्मशक्तू) is the first Indian woman to ski from coast of Antarctica to South Pole covering a distance of 900 kilometers .[1]

About

Dharmshaktu was born into a Hindu family from Punjab.[2] She grew up in Darjeeling.[3] She completed mountaineering courses at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. Reena was an instructor with the US-headquartered National Outdoor Leadership Schools (NOLS) that teaches outdoor skills to people.[4] Her husband, Love Raj Singh Dharmshaktu is also a mountaineer, who has reached the summit of Mount Everest seven times.

Expeditions

Dharmashaktu has been on expeditions to Gangotri 1, did the first ascent of Argan Kangri. She also climbed Fluted Peak, Stok Kangri, Mt Nun and others.

On 29 December 2009, Dharmshaktu made the historic ski-run as part of an eight-woman Commonwealth team (the Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition)[5] which crossed a 900 kilometer Antarctic ice trek to reach the South Pole, marking 60th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth.[1][6] She was selected from among 800 applicants and are from Brunei, Cyprus, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Singapore, New Zealand and the UK.[7]

Awards

Dharmshaktu was awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2010 in land adventure category.

References

1. "Delhi girl becomes first Indian woman to ski to South Pole". The Times of India. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
2. "Delhi girl becomes first Indian woman to ski to South Pole". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
3. "Reena Kaushal becomes the first Indian woman to skii to South Pole". www.sportskeeda.com. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
4. "ShieldSquare Captcha". validate.perfdrive.com. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
5. Gusain, Raju (1 January 2010). "Woman from Dehradun first to touch South Pole". India Today. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
6. "Pakistan: Eight intrepid women to set out on Antarctic expedition". Daily the Pak Banker. 3 October 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
7. "Pole lady gets sponsor finally - Dharmshaktu gets ready for UK camp before antarctica skiing". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 22 November 2019.

External links

• Delhiite is first Indian woman to ski to South Pole
• First Indian woman to ski to the South Pole