Part I: Santosh Yadav - The only woman to scale Mt. Everest twice.
Part II: Maria Sharapova - The journey from Siberia to World No. 1 in
Tennis.
This biography portrays the strong willpower and determination of Santosh Yadav. Born in a society where the birth of a son was a blessing and a daughter was not welcomed, she defied traditional norms to chart her own path and become the only woman in the world to scale Mount Everest twice.
• Name: Her name 'Santosh' means contentment, but
she was never content with a traditional place in society.
• Clothing: While other girls wore Indian suits,
she preferred shorts.
• Marriage: In her village (Joniyawas, Haryana),
girls were married off at 16. Santosh refused and threatened she
would never marry if she didn't get a proper education.
• Education: She left home for Delhi. When her
parents refused to pay fees, she politely informed them she would
work part-time. They eventually agreed to pay.
While studying at Maharani College, Jaipur, her room faced the Aravalli Hills. She used to watch villagers going up and vanishing. Curiosity led her to check it out herself. She found mountaineers who encouraged her to join them. This was the turning point.
This part highlights the sacrifices and mental toughness of Maria Sharapova. A Russian girl who reached the summit of women's tennis, becoming World No. 1 in 2005. Her story teaches that success comes at a price.
At the tender age of nine, Maria was packed off from Siberia (Russia) to Florida (USA) for tennis training. Her father, Yuri, went with her, but her mother, Yelena, could not go due to visa restrictions. This two-year separation from her mother was a heart-wrenching sacrifice for a young child.
In the hostel, Maria was younger than the other trainees. The seniors would return at 11 PM and wake her up, ordering her to tidy up the room and clean it. Instead of getting depressed, Maria became more determined and mentally tough.
"I learnt how to take care of myself. I never thought of quitting because I knew what I wanted."
| Feature | Santosh Yadav | Maria Sharapova |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Rural Haryana, India | Siberia, Russia |
| Field | Mountaineering | Tennis |
| Challenge | Defied traditional gender norms. | Endured separation from mother & bullying. |
| Achievement | Only woman to scale Everest twice. | World No. 1 in Women's Tennis. |
Answer: The holy man assumed the mother wanted a son (as was customary). He was surprised when Santosh's grandmother told him they did not want a son; they wanted a daughter.
Answer: During the 1992 Everest mission, she provided special care to a climber at the South Col (who sadly died). However, she managed to save another climber, Mohan Singh, by sharing her own oxygen with him. Without her help, he would have died.
Answer: Maria is very competitive, hard-working, and mentally tough. She considers the sacrifices she made worth it. She says, "I work hard at what I do." She views tennis as a business and a sport, with money as a motivation but being No. 1 as the ultimate goal.