Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu became the First Indian Woman to Ski to South Pole! In her own words "It's a journey of a lifetime. It's a totally different world there with no life form around you except your team members."
For 38-year-old Reena, who had edged out 116 compatriots to get the right to represent India in the expedition, it marked a unique achievement. Unable to raise sufficient funds, Dharmshaktu had to take a loan of Rs.5.75 lakh from a bank and borrowed the rest from friends. Is the Indian Sports Minister listening? Of course ... not ... she is not a cricketer!
To mark the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth, the team of eight women from Britain, Brunei, Cyprus, Ghana, India, Jamaica, New Zealand and Singapore were selected for the expedition. Her mountaineer husband, Love Raj Singh Dharmshaktu, climbed Mt Everest in May this year. Reena hails from Punjab but lives in Delhi.
She has certainly made Indians proud by her achievement & hopefully, her singular feat will not be completely lost on Indian sports fans!