International Women’s Day: Everest Sparked an Engineering Dream for Kamya Karthikeyan, Youngest Female to Climb the Seven Summits

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At 17, Kamya Karthikeyan has already stood on the highest mountains on every continent. The youngest female in the world to complete the Seven Summits, she has trekked across glaciers in Antarctica, hauled sleds across the harsh slopes of Denali and climbed the world's tallest peak at an age when most athletes are just beginning their journeys.

Now an engineering student and emerging ski mountaineering athlete, Kamya represents a new generation of Indian girls quietly reshaping what ambition and adventure look like - a fitting symbol of the spirit celebrated on International Women's Day.

Kamya, who successfully transitioned into competitive winter sport, has already won two gold medals and a bronze in ski mountaineering events at the Khelo India Winter Games. At this year's KIWG in Gulmarg, the Maharashtra athlete bagged a gold medal in Ski Mountaineering. She gave last year's games a miss due to her Intermediate Exams.

Kaamya Karthikeyan: A Mountaineer Before Becoming an Athlete

Kamya's sporting life began not on skis but on mountains. Inspired by her father, a mountaineer who also serves as her coach, she began expedition climbing at the age of 10. Over the next seven years, she took on one of the most demanding challenges in the mountaineering world - completing the Seven Summits.

Her journey ended in December 2024, when she completed the final climb at the age of 16, making history as the youngest female in the world to achieve the feat.

While every expedition came with its own challenges, one mountain stood out. "Mount Denali was the toughest," Kamya recalls while speaking to myKhel.

Unlike many other major peaks, Denali offers very little logistical support. Kamya and her team hauled 50-kilogram sleds while carrying 20-kilogram backpacks, navigating the harsh Alaskan terrain almost entirely on their own.

The experience demanded immense physical endurance and mental resilience - qualities that would later prove crucial in competitive sport.

From the Mountains to Ski Mountaineering

Although Kamya had been skiing for more than a decade, 2024 marked a turning point when she transitioned into ski mountaineering (SkiMo) - a sport that combines alpine skiing with endurance climbing.

Despite being relatively new to competitive racing, she has quickly established herself as one of India's promising athletes in the discipline. Her background in mountaineering, she says, gave her a natural advantage.

"Everything I learned from mountaineering - endurance, patience and dealing with difficult conditions - helps me in ski mountaineering as well," she explains.

The sport has also given her the opportunity to represent India internationally, marking a new phase in her sporting journey.

Balancing Engineering and Elite Sport

Away from the mountains and snowfields, Kamya is equally focused on academics. She is currently a first-year engineering student at Shiv Nadar University in Noida, juggling university life with a demanding winter sports calendar.

Balancing both worlds is not easy. "The competitive season for winter sports lasts only two or three months, but it often overlaps with the academic calendar," she says.

This year, Kamya missed much of her semester due to training camps and competitions. However, she credits her university and professors for supporting her ambitions.

"My university has been very understanding. They've given me attendance waivers and my professors are supportive when I have competitions," she says.

"That kind of ecosystem makes a huge difference for student-athletes," she adds further.

Everest Sparked an Engineering Dream

Kamya's decision to study engineering was also inspired by her experiences in the mountains.

While climbing Mount Everest, she saw attempts to use drone technology to transport waste down the mountain, part of efforts to tackle pollution in high-altitude environments. That moment sparked a new ambition. "I want to work in drone technology," she says.

Her goal is to develop systems that could assist in mountain rescues, transport equipment to climbers, and help remove waste from fragile mountain ecosystems.

In many ways, engineering offers Kamya a way to give back to the mountains that shaped her life.

A Family Behind Every Expedition

Kamya's journey would not have been possible without the support of her family. Her father - who is himself a mountaineer and an officer in the Indian Navy - has been her coach, mentor and biggest inspiration, while her mother travelled with her extensively during the early years of training and expeditions.

Managing travel, sponsorships, training schedules and competitions required the effort of the entire family. "That kind of support is essential for young athletes," Kamya says.

The teenager also credits the Maharashtra government for backing winter sports athletes from a state that has no natural snow infrastructure. Team officials and support staff have played an important role in helping athletes manage logistics and compete at national events.

Kamya has also benefited from the structured support of the Reliance Foundation, which identified her talent during the Khelo India Winter Games. Through the programme, she now has access to a professional support network that includes a strength and conditioning coach, nutritionist and sports psychologist - resources that have helped her adapt from expedition-style mountaineering to the systematic demands of competitive sport.

A Truly Indian Identity

Kamya's journey also reflects the diversity of modern India. Her parents are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, she was born in Andhra Pradesh, and has lived in Mumbai for the past seven years.

Like many children from defence families, she grew up without a single hometown. "For us, the answer to 'Where are you from?' isn't simple," she states. "But being able to represent India internationally gives that identity a real meaning."

The Seven Summits may already be behind her, but Kamya Karthikeyan's story is only beginning. Whether it is racing uphill on skis, designing technology for mountain rescues, or representing India on the international stage, the 17-year-old continues to push boundaries - proving that the next generation of Indian girls is as fearless in ambition as it is in adventure.