Simple
and Complex – Episode 4
From Grief to Glory: The Inspiring Journey of
Dr. Priya Selvarajan to the Summit of Everest – Part 1
One of the fundamental differences between
humans and other animals lies in the places they aspire to reach. Most animals
spend their entire lives within a limited habitat. Migratory birds and certain
marine species are exceptions, travelling great distances as part of nature's
design.
Human beings, however, are different. Those
who seek a simple life often define clear boundaries for their desires and
surroundings, living contentedly within them. Others are driven by limitless
aspirations—to swim across oceans, scale the world's highest peaks, or even
live in space. Such ambitions may make life more complex, but for those who
pursue them, that very complexity becomes the source of fulfilment.
Dr. Priya Selvarajan of Chennai, who reached
the summit of Mount Everest at the age of fifty-two, belongs to this
extraordinary group.
As the granddaughter of the legendary Tamil
actor Gemini Ganesan, the niece of renowned actress Rekha, and the daughter of
eminent cardiologist Dr. Somiya Francis Victor Selvaraj and pioneering
fertility specialist Dr. Kamala Selvaraj, Priya grew up in an environment of
privilege and excellence. Dr. Kamala Selvaraj made medical history by helping
deliver South India's first test-tube baby through Assisted Reproductive
Technology.
From childhood, Priya was fascinated by
adventure. She dreamed of learning surfing, skydiving, and rock climbing. But
in a family of doctors, there was little room for such ambitions. The
expectation was clear: study hard, become a doctor, specialise, and continue
the family's medical legacy.
When Priya shared her adventurous dreams, her
mother gently discouraged her.
"Children often have many dreams. They
don't all suit you. Such thoughts usually come when you lose focus on your
studies. We are a family of doctors. Don't think beyond becoming a specialist
doctor, my daughter."
Sensing the firmness behind those words,
Priya quietly set aside her dream. Yet she made a promise to herself—that one
day, when she had an independent life, she would become an adventurer.
As the years passed, Priya excelled in her
studies, family life, and medical career. But her dreams evolved as well. Rock
climbing and skydiving were no longer her ultimate goals. She now had a far
greater ambition—to unfurl the Indian tricolour atop Mount Everest alongside
the banner of the GG Fertility Research Foundation, an organisation dedicated
to supporting young cancer patients seeking fertility preservation treatment.
That dream became reality on 27 May 2026
at 10:00 a.m., when Dr. Priya Selvarajan stood on the summit of Mount
Everest. It was a triumph of endurance, determination, and mental strength. She
also created a remarkable record by becoming the first Indian woman above
the age of fifty to scale two peaks exceeding 8,000 metres within a short span
of time.
Behind that achievement, however, lay years
of relentless preparation.
Balancing the demanding responsibilities of a
senior reproductive medicine specialist in Chennai with rigorous mountaineering
training was never easy. Yet Priya's determination never wavered.
At the age of forty-eight, while struggling
to cope with the loss of her father during the first wave of the COVID-19
pandemic, she signed up for her first trek. It was both a physical journey and
an emotional pilgrimage.
She joined Indiahikes, founded by
Arjun Majumdar and Sandhya, and undertook the Sandakphu–Phalut trek in the
Singalila National Park along the India–Nepal border in West Bengal's
Darjeeling district. Climbing to an altitude of about 3,600 metres helped her
begin healing from personal grief while awakening a deep passion for
mountaineering.
The journey continued. In 2022, she trekked
to Khopra Ridge in Nepal's Annapurna region, strengthening both her
confidence and resolve. In 2023, she successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro,
Africa's highest peak, rising to 5,895 metres.
Each of these expeditions became a stepping
stone, preparing her physically and mentally for the ultimate challenge—the
road to Everest.
(To be continued...)
