Maya Gurung, the lady who not only conquered the highest peak of the world — Mount Everest — but also was a part of Nepal’s first Women Seven Summit expedition team.

Gurung shares that she had never imagined that she could stand atop the highest peak in the world. “However, my determination made it happen,“ she adds.

Born and raised in Sindhupalchowk, Gurung recalls how she fled from her hometown after her father fixed the date for her marriage when she was just 14 years old.

Now she is engaged in organising educational programmes to raise awareness of ill practices and social stigma, among women in her village.