The woman with Himalayan ambition

Banjara Hills: Life is not a bed of roses. But passion and determination drive one who wants to go extra mile. After losing mother when she was just nine years old and her father in 2015, P Sameera Khan, a 30-year-old from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh has overcame all odds to come up in life. She set out to prove to the world that girls are capable of doing anything. She is currently an entrepreneur at Kepler Home Cinema in Hyderabad.

A solo traveler, she has already cycled her way to 20 countries. She scaled four mountains, the highest being 6,858-meter-high Ama Dablam in Nepal. Currently she is looking for sponsors to fulfill her ambition of scaling Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.

"I am trying to pursue my dream, earning for it, spending for it, everything on my own but now I have come to a point where I need some financial support to attain my ambition. The backpacker's Mt Everest expedition requires Rs 30-35 lakh. I have some money and I need sponsorship. I want to scale Mt Everest from Tibet side and not from Nepal. From Tibet side it is tough and also very technical while from Nepal side it is commercial and easy. Rather than doing just for the sake of doing, I want to do something which makes me feel I have done the whole thing beyond my ability," Sameera said.

She said she approached the government authorities for help but they refused as they don't consider mountaineering as a sport.Being youngest among five siblings, while pursuing medical lab technology course after 10th standard, the family finances forced her to take up a job in BPO in Bengaluru.During Srinagar floods of 2014, she travelled to Kashmir as a volunteer. She went on a solo PahalgamValley trek for two days and soon she started learning how to survive in tough conditions.She cycled across South Asian and South East Asian countries. In India, she cycled for over 1,000 km covering various states with her one expenses. Her trekking expedition started with Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and later extended to Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. She has already covered 550 km high altitude trekking.She has not done any course in mountaineering. "I was already cyclist. I cycled in 20 countries. I think that boosted my confidence to become a high-altitude trekker," said Sameera

"I want to attribute to my demised parents a legacy of my lifetime achievement by inspiring women and girls from the suburbs of South India. Then I want to publish my book and make a small documentary on my life journey. I want the world to respect women and regard them high," shared Sameera.

She said that she has so much to say to the world but before that wants to scale the peak. "I can be heard if only I am at the top as people listen to eminent and dynamic personalities," added the girl with Himalayan ambitions.