Jaipur: Neelima Arora, a daughter of Jaipur (Rajasthan), has set an inspiring example of courage, perseverance, and passion that has made the entire nation proud. Neelima created history by scaling Mount Everest (8,849 meters). She has become the first woman in the world with thalassemia minor to successfully summit the world’s highest peak.Neelima currently works as a Silicon Validation Engineer in California and is a mother of two. Remarkably, until about two and a half years ago, she had no prior connection to mountaineering. After undergoing knee surgery, she decided to challenge herself with something new, and that journey eventually led her to Everest.During this grueling 50-day expedition, she faced the life-threatening condition known as High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) three times. Although doctors repeatedly advised her to abandon the expedition, she refused to give up and pressed on.Neelima shared that when she reached the summit of Everest around 1 pm on May 25, she was alone there for about 30 minutes. She described the experience as “the most emotional and incredible moment of her life.”Prior to Everest, Neelima had already conquered challenging peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn (France), Cotopaxi (Ecuador), Aconcagua (Argentina), and Ama Dablam (Nepal).In 2025, she became the first Indian woman over the age of 40 to successfully summit Ama Dablam. Neelima credits her success to her guide, Gesman Tamang, and her family. The achievement of this daughter of Jaipur has become an inspiration for the millions of people who, due to illness or circumstances, consider their dreams unfulfilled.
