Want to do PhD, teach: Everest conquerer Manisha Durve

When the team of Project Shaurya had visited the Dewada Ashramshala to pick up candidates, 17-year-old Manisha Durve had stood first in the race for primary selections. “Throughout the training I used to be on top of the batch when they were 50, 22 and finally the last 13,” says Manisha sitting on a cot outside her house in Jhoolburdi village which has around 100 homes.

She continued to quiz her trainers about the expedition and what was expected of her. “In Hyderabad, where we had to practice rock climbing, we were ten girls and used to lag behind. But then I pulled up my act and began excelling there too,” she says.

The slightly built Manisha is made of sturdy stuff. “During the three-day trek at Darjeeling, I was ahead of the boys though they were very supportive,” she says and describes her training at Leh and Ladakh as unforgettable as she experienced winter there for the first time.

“When we reached the base camp, I stood and gazed at the summit. It appeared so close. It was the fear of the unknown when we began our attempt. I reached the top at 4.25am and screamed with joy and shouted Bharat mata ki jai and placed a Buddhist scarf which I had carried from Leh,” says Manisha who also picked up stones from the mountains on her way back.

“Two others from our team were with me on the summit and we chatted for a while. All of us felt that this was easier than we had expected,” she says.

“She always wanted to become famous and do something big which she has now achieved,” says her sister-in-law Sonu, adding they have become famous because of her. “This experience has changed me. I met so many people who were very helping. People from other teams would tell us to change our socks regularly and to drink plenty of water,” Manisha says.

Enjoying the attention that is coming her way and deftly using the tab and the mobile phone that the state minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is also from Chandrapur, has given to this team, she adds, “The children in my village and friends here have admiration for me. I feel that government should provide more educational facilities and villagers should avail of them fully. I want to continue living in my village but also want to finish my PhD so that I can teach,” she says.

“We are going to utilize the money that she has got for her education,” adds her brother Shankar.