Shillong, May 20: Meghalaya’s Rifiness Warjri, a 20-year-old NCC cadet from the 61 Meghalaya Girls Battalion and student of St. Anthony’s College, has become the third woman from the state to successfully scale Mount Everest. She reached the 8,848-metre summit at 4:45 am on May 18 as part of a 38-member expedition team.

Warjri was the only cadet selected from the entire Northeastern region to be part of the 10-member NCC team that completed the climb and unfurled the tricolour at the summit.

She is the fourth individual from Meghalaya to achieve this feat, following Gary Jarman Lamare in 2012, Wansuk Myrthong in 2013, and Dolyne Kharbhih in 2016.

Warjri had earlier scaled Mt Abi Gamin, a 7,355-metre peak in Uttarakhand, in August 2023.

The daughter of Shlurbor Kharmyndai and Diamondsea Warjri, she credits her family for their constant support. Her interest in mountaineering began during her school days at Auxilium Convent in Shillong through her involvement with the NCC. Apart from mountaineering, Warjri is also a trained Wushu martial artist and kickboxer who has represented Meghalaya in various competitions.