July 28th 2024.
Lhakpa Sherpa, a seemingly ordinary woman working at Whole Foods in West Hartford, Connecticut, has a remarkable secret - she is a record-breaking mountain climber who has reached the summit of Mount Everest ten times. Despite her incredible accomplishments, her colleagues had no idea about her double life. To them, Lhakpa was just another hard-working mom trying to make ends meet.
Born to yak farmers in the Nepalese Himalayas in 1973, Lhakpa grew up in a culture where girls were not allowed to receive an education. As a result, she never went to school and is still illiterate. But against all odds, she developed a once-in-a-generation skill for mountain climbing and became the most accomplished female climber in the world.
When asked why she kept her extraordinary talent a secret, Lhakpa explains, "I didn't want to talk about my life. I didn't want to say, 'I summit Everest.' You know, I'm just a normal woman, a normal person working. I'm not educated. I need to do everything I can: washing dishes and cleaning houses."
But Lhakpa's journey to the top of Everest was not an easy one. Growing up, she dreamed of reaching the summit, but as a girl, she was expected to have an arranged marriage and stay at home. She felt stuck and longed for a different life. Her love for nature and the mountains gave her the courage to pursue her dream.
In 2000, Lhakpa defied cultural expectations and began working for an Everest expedition tour group. That same year, she became the first Nepali woman to reach the summit and survive. It was also the year she met George Dijmarescu, a Romanian construction worker based in the US, who she later married. Together, they climbed Everest five times between 2001 and 2006.
However, their marriage was not a happy one. Dijmarescu was physically and emotionally abusive towards Lhakpa, even knocking her unconscious at an Everest base camp. Lhakpa remembers floating above her mother's house and travelling to the afterlife while unconscious, but ultimately chose to return to earth for the sake of her children.
Sunny and Shiny, Lhakpa's daughters from her marriage with Dijmarescu, also witnessed their father's violent behavior towards their mother. In 2020, he passed away from cancer, but Lhakpa says she still has love for him in her heart as he is her children's father.
After leaving Dijmarescu, Lhakpa and her children moved to a women's shelter to escape the domestic violence. She started working at Whole Foods and as a house cleaner to support her family. Despite all the hardships she faced, Lhakpa never dwelled on the negatives and remained positive. She describes nature and climbing mountains as her "healer" and finds solace in the mountains.
Her love for climbing and the mountains has also brought her incredible opportunities, including a Netflix documentary about her achievements. Lhakpa's dream is to inspire and empower women to follow their own dreams, and she hopes to start a women's hiking club and climb the highest peaks in all 50 US states.
Even at the top of Mount Everest, Lhakpa feels a sense of power and accomplishment. She says, "I never been in school, so I feel like I finished my master's degree in the mountains. Mountains are my puzzle, mountains are my book. I'm in long-term Mountain High School. At the top, I feel so great because my body looks like an athlete's."
Now, at the age of 48, Lhakpa has climbed Everest for the 10th time, breaking her own record. She did it with the ambition of changing her life and providing a better future for her children. She explains, "I'm a single mom. I know my children need a car. They need to go to college. We live in a small apartment. My children always say to me, 'Go to the mountain more.' They want me to write a book. I've had a documentary made about me. It gives me hope and good opportunity."
Lhakpa's story is a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Despite facing numerous challenges, she never gave up on her dreams and continues to inspire others to do the same. She hopes to use her platform to bring awareness to domestic violence and empower women to break free from abusive relationships.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please reach out for help. There are resources available, such as the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and Solace, that provide support and assistance. Remember, you are not alone.
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