Shillong, May 20: Among the 38-member NCC team that scaled Mount Everest on Sunday was Meghalaya’s Rifiness Warjri, the lone member in the team from North East.
With her historic feat, the 20-year-old student from St Anthony’s College also became only the third woman from Meghalaya to climb the world’s tallest peak at 8,849 metres at 4.45 pm on May 18.
Her predecessors include Wansuk Myrthong, a police constable who scaled the peak in 2013, and NCC’s Dolyne Kharbhih from Ri-Bhoi district who summited in 2016.
Ahead of attempting at realising the biggest dream of a mountaineer, Rifiness also successfully scaled Mt Abi Gamin, a 7,355-meter peak, in Uttarakhand in August last year.
She spent her childhood days at Jylli shop before shifting to the scenic Kynton-u-Mon at Laitkor. Third among five siblings, Rifiness credits her parents Shlurbor Kharmyndai and Diamondsea Warjri as her source of unwavering support throughout her journey.
Her passion for mountaineering began with her involvement in the NCC during her school days at Auxilium Convent Shillong.
It was through NCC that her interest in the sport blossomed, eventually leading to her participation in various NCC activities.
Alongside her mountaineering ambitions, Rifiness is also an accomplished Wushu martial artist and kickboxer, having represented her state in competitive events.
