Surviving cancer, surmounting fear

I was afraid of heights. But once for a climbing competition in school, forms were invited and I chose to participate despite my fears. I decided to convert my weakness into my strength and joined sport climbing. I was 14 at the time. My family was initially hesitant as it had been barely six months since my last life-saving surgery but they gave in to my stubbornness. My father reasoned with my mother, “Jab Bhagwan ne isko itni badi bimari se bachaa liya to ab isko karne do.” (When God has cured her of a dreaded disease, let her be).

I was nine when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. For the next four years, my parents were with me at every step in chasing away the disease. We live in Jammu but they brought me to PGIMER, Chandigarh, for treatment. My father Jameet Singh Charak, a Class IV employee, is a lab assistant in a Jammu college. My mother Bero Devi is a nurse. Despite responsibilities and limited resources, they were ready to sell everything for my treatment.

We are two sisters and two brothers but my parents have never discriminated between boys and girls. All four of us are into sports climbing.

The credit for this liberal thinking goes to my grandfather, Halwant Singh Charak, a freedom fighter who fought along with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He always allowed us to do anything and there was no discrimination against daughters. My father learnt it from him.

Neighbours and relatives would tell my parents not to allow me and my sister to go for sports and/or higher education. But when I was selected for the World Cup for the first time and was to go to Switzerland for training, the same people said they were happy and proud of me.

I have never let anything or anyone come in the way of my dreams and passion, whether it is cancer, people or my own fears.

When I climbed the sport climbing wall the first time, I was petrified. I climbed down half-way but still got a silver medal. Slowly, with practice, excitement has replaced fear and now I want to scale Mt Everest and do bungee jumping, sky diving, parachute jumping.

My first and foremost wish is to get an Olympic medal for India. I couldn’t qualify for the Tokyo Olympics due to Covid. At the moment, I am training to participate in the next round of the World Cup on July 22 and 23 at Briançon, France.

It has been over six years since I took up climbing and have won 21 medals at the national level, including eight gold and 10 silver. I have also represented India at the World Cup, Asian Cup and Asian Youth Championship (winning junior bronze in speed climbing in 2019 in Bengaluru). I also participated in the IFSC ACC Asian Championships 2019 in Indonesia.

I just wish that both the state and Central governments should make this journey a little easier. The J&K government did provide help initially but as I started participating in international tournaments, the funds dried up. Jammu doesn’t have any international-level climbing facilities or any coach. So I have to stay in Delhi and usually practice with the Army team there. Till 2019, my family was supporting me fully. But with all four siblings practising this sport, it has not been easy. Since the past couple of years, the Welspun Group’s CSR trust has been sponsoring my travel and training needs. Tawi Trekkers of J&K has also been chipping in. The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, too, has been providing training and facilities, free of cost.

My bucket list isn’t long — an Olympic medal, a beginners’ climbing wall in Jammu, scaling Everest and joining the defence forces.

— The writer, aged 20, is India’s no. 1 woman sports climber

(As told to Renu Sud Sinha)