Adventure sports fraternity abuzz with Mysuru woman’s ‘Himalayan’ feat

Dr. Usha Hegde, first woman from Mysuru to complete Ironman Western Australia 2019 Triathlon, scales Mount Everest

The adventure sports fraternity in Mysuru is abuzz with reports of city’s ‘ironwoman’ Dr. Usha Hegde scaling Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak.

Less than five years after becoming the first woman from Mysuru to complete the Ironman Western Australia 2019 Triathlon in December 2019, Dr. Usha is believed to have accomplished every mountaineers’ dream — scaling the Mount Everest situated at a height of 29,031 feet.

Dr. Usha’s husband and noted orthopaedician in Mysuru, Dr Ajay Hegde, said he had received information that Dr. Usha had reached the summit of Mount Everest early on Sunday, May 19, morning. “The final push from camp 4 towards the peak of Mount of Everest began at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday. She reached the peak at 6.10 a.m. on Sunday”, said Dr. Hegde.

Securing permission from the Nepalese authorities, Dr. Usha had begun her expedition in the first week of April this year, about six weeks ago, as part of a group. However, an official confirmation from the Nepalese authorities on her feat is still awaited.

Dr. Usha descended from the peak and reached the Everest Base camp on May 20 (Monday). She had reached Kathmandu on May 21 (Tuesday).

While motor engine and racing enthusiast Somender Singh from Mysuru, in a social media post, claimed Dr. Usha was the first woman from Mysuru to reach the summit of Mount Everest, adventure sports enthusiast Deepak Solanki, who runs the Tiger Adventure Foundation, said Dr. Usha will be second woman from Mysuru to scale the world’s highest peak, if the reports are true. The first woman from Mysuru is Major Smitha Laxman, who is the Corps of Signals in the Indian Army, he said.

As the first woman from Mysuru to bag the title of ‘IronMan’ for the triathlon event in Australia, Dr. Usha, a dentist, who teaches at JSS Dental College in Mysuru, had completed the endurance event of 3.8 km of swim in open water, 180 km of cycling and marathon run of 42.2 km in 14 hours, 30 minutes and 24 seconds on December 1, 2019, at Busselton in Western Australia.