Dimple, mother of 6-year-old Arishka Laddha, the youngest Indian girl to scale the Mount Everest Base Camp is a CS-LLB graduate and a working woman who loves cycling, running, trekking and participating in marathons. On Mother’s Day, FPJ spoke to Dimple about her daughter’s achievement, preparations required for the trek and more.
On being asked about Arishka’s reaction to her remarkable feat; Dimple Laddha said, “There were tears in my eyes and I got quite emotional on reaching Mount Everest Base Camp. Though Arishka is young enough to understand what she has achieved, I told her, I and everyone including your school, Ryan International Academy are very proud of you, which made her very happy.”
Dimple wasn’t earlier sure whether they will complete the trek or not and said, ”Health is a priority, I would have aborted the plan and returned back. Acute mountain sickness occurs while mountaineering but one needs to drink a lot of fluids, warm water, ginger and honey drink to avoid it. We also had an experienced Mt Everest trekker with us from the group that organises Mt. Everest treks. ”
Arishka and Dimple began their journey on April 8, 2023, and completed the trek on April 22, 2023, while donning seven layers of clothing at a temperature ranging from minus 3 to minus 17 degrees.
On the essentials to carry during the trek, Dimple said, “I made Arishka wear many pairs of proper warm clothes like sweaters, jackets, and thermals. I carried ghee, butter, seeds, chocolates makhanas, dates, dry fruits, ready-to-make food packets.”
Dimple and her husband are corporate employees and when asked about how she developed her daughter’s interest in trekking, she said, “We make sure to take her to a trek around Pune (their residing city) on weekends to Sinhagad and she enjoys doing trekking.” She said that parents need to let their kids go out for playing in the garden every day and develop a “habit of walking” by making them begin to walk first 1-2 km and gradually increase it and the same goes for trekking as well.
Children are full of energy and so, Dimple says, “You need to channelise your kid's energy in the right direction.”
Arishka loves running, skating, and crafts and her favourite subject is mathematics. She could walk 7-8 km since the age of 4.
6-year-old has also, climbed Vaishnodevi and other pilgrimages at high altitude all by herself.
Also, a mother to a two-year-old boy, Dimple had both her deliveries through C-sections and manage to maintain a work-life balance advised all mothers, ”Prioritise your life and take care of yourself. Do what you want to do, follow your passion and keep yourself happy. Every mom can do anything once they make a decision.”
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