12. Summary

The lesson "Reach for the Top" discusses the two most daring and talented women who have broken all stereotypes of sports. The first part talks about Santosh Yadav, a mountaineer who hailed from a humble village. Although her parents wanted her to get married, she stood firmly for her dreams and followed her. She took up a course in mountaineering from Uttarkashi and scaled the Aravalli ranges in Rajasthan. After years of training and developing her skill, she scaled Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, in \(1992\). She became the first Indian woman to do so. But she did not stop with that, as she scaled it for the second time in \(1993\). She was awarded the Padmashri for her achievements and countless contributions to the country. The second part discusses about Maria Sharapova, the Worlds number 1 tennis player. She, too, came from a humble background as she immigrated to the US from Russia. Her parents had to work, and she did not have them around. She experienced bullying in her academy. But she was strong and put up with all hurdles that were thrown at her. She has won various Grand slams, Olympics silver in tennis. She identifies herself as a Russian and represents her country. She became a successful tennis player only because she had the courage to follow her passion.