Nine-year-old Virat Chandra Telukunta from Hyderabad was awarded Prime Minister Bal Puraskar in Sports for scaling Mount Kilimanjaro.
"I used to run for 6-7km every day, did sit-ups, suryanamaskar...meditation. It was very cold there, but we focussed on summit point despite body aches" Chandra told ANI.
While climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Chandra overcame the challenges like extreme cold weather, finger pain, hand pain, and leg pain caused due to chilly weather.
Talking about his future expeditions, he's planning to attend the Australian Summit and climb Mount Kosciuszko once the border restrictions ease out.
"We were scared initially when Virat said he wants to do mountaineering, but after discovering a good trainer and also seeing the results from Virat's training, we were confident that Virat could do mountaineering," Virat's father Sharath told ANI.
"I broke down when he returned to the base camp. I wanted to go along with him to the summit, but due to breathing problems, I had to stay there. It was hard for me, as I am always with him. Upon his return to base camp, his first words were, "I finished Maa, I finished! , Mountaineering at such a young age is difficult, and she wishes that all parents let their children pursue their dreams," Virat's mother Madhavi told ANI.
( With inputs from ANI )
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