New Delhi: Accomplished skydiver Shital Mahajan has become the first woman in the world to jump off a helicopter from a height of 21,500 feet in front of Mt Everest.
A Padma Shri awardee, the 41-year-old Mahajan completed the record skydiving on the front side of world’s highest peak on November 13, reported PTI.
“I performed the best jump of my life from 21,500 feet in front of Mount Everest and landed at the highest altitude at Kalapatthar 17,444 feet /5,317m. I accomplished the highest altitude skydiving landing done by a woman. Along with another National record of the first Indian woman to skydive in front of Mount Everest at Kalapatthar and the highest altitude skydiving landing done by a woman,” Mahajan wrote on her Facebook page.
India’s champion skydiver, who holds several records, has performed a series of remarkable high-altitude skydives in the Everest region.
In her latest attempt, Mahajan took her first leap on November 11 from 5,000 feet above ground level at a staggering 17,500 feet altitude and successfully landed at 12,500 feet at Syangboche airport. Legendary New Zealand skydiver Wendy Smith was her instructor on the aircraft.
On November 12, Mahajan did a jump with the Indian flag at Syangboche airport from 8,000 feet, along with skydiving camerawomen Wendy Elizabeth Smith and Nadia Solovyeva. It was a national record for the highest flag skydiving landing by a woman.
