Twenty-three-year-old Simran Bajwa is confidently moving towards a very high goal.
“My goal is to become the youngest Canadian in history, male or female, to summit Mt. 7 summits and the Seven Summits are the highest mountains on every continent,” Bajwa said.
Twenty-six years is the current record. Bajwa is already more than halfway through her summit of Mount Kosciuszko in Australia earlier this fall, continuing to pursue a dream she's had for a long time.
“Growing up in the Okanagan, I was surrounded by mountains,” Bajwa said. “You always hear about hiking, being outdoors, and rock climbing, but there are so many ways to find happiness in the great outdoors.”
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A few years ago, she was finally able to focus fully on mountaineering after several difficult years at home.
“Growing up, my father was an alcoholic, and I almost always knew him only as an alcoholic,” Bajwa said. “He’s been out of my life for three years now, which is about the same time frame that my mountaineering journey began.”
Next is the top of the world. Simran will head to Everest next April to try to make it fifth.
“The next few months are all about building, building, being able to work for longer periods of time, going on long runs, going on long hikes,” Bajwa said. “In the first month, you just need to work on a really strong foundation. You just need to work on your diet, work on your cardio, work on building muscle.”
Bajwa hopes to set the record by age 25, so there's no need to rush. There is still plenty of time to enjoy the views from the peaks and the little moments on every trip.
“Every step always teaches me a new lesson,” Bajwa said. “I never know what the next one will bring, but I am so grateful for what I have learned on this journey and what I continue to learn.”
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