Reach for the Top Summary: A Story of Perseverance

Reach for the Top tells the inspiring stories of two remarkable women who achieved great success through hard work and determination. Santosh Yadav became the first woman to climb Mt. Everest twice, while Maria Sharapova, a young girl from Siberia, became the world’s number one tennis player in 2005. Their journeys show that anyone can overcome challenges and achieve their goals with dedication and perseverance. Read ahead to get the full Reach for the Top Summary.

Theme

There are two parts of Chapter 8 Reach for the Top. The first part is about Santosh Yadav, a record-holding mountaineer.  Santosh Yadav was born in a traditional society in Haryana, where girls had little freedom. However, with strong determination and hard work, she took charge of her life and became the first woman to climb Mt. Everest twice.

The second part of Chapter 8 Reach for the Top is about Maria Sharapova, a teenager who achieved the number one position in World’s Women Tennis. Maria had many sacrifices and also suffered humiliation to reach the top. However, all these only made her tough and more determined. Her hard work and mental strength eventually helped her achieve her goal.

Summary of Reach for the Top Part 1: Santosh Yadav Summary

Santosh Yadav is the first woman in the world to climb Mt. Everest twice. She was born in a society where sons were considered a blessing, while daughters were often not welcomed. When a holy man visited her family to bless her mother with a son, Santosh’s grandmother surprised everyone by saying they wanted a daughter. Santosh was the youngest child and the only sister among five elder brothers. She was born in the small village of Joniawas in Rewari district, Haryana.

Her name, Santosh, means contentment, but she was never content with the traditional way of life in her society. From a young age, she chose to live life on her terms. While other girls wore traditional dresses, Santosh preferred wearing shorts. Unlike her brothers, who studied in good schools, Santosh was sent to the local village school because of family customs. She decided to challenge this system. When her parents wanted her to marry at the age of sixteen, she firmly refused and told them she would not marry until she had completed her education. She left home and enrolled in a school in Delhi. Though her parents initially refused to pay for her education, they later agreed when she said she would work part-time to support herself if needed.

Santosh completed her high school education and was admitted to Maharani College in Jaipur. Her hostel room at Kasturba faced the Aravalli hills, and she often saw villagers climbing the hills and disappearing. Curious, she followed them one day and discovered they were mountaineers. This inspired her to take an interest in climbing.

Santosh was determined to pursue her passion and joined the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering without informing her parents. She went on annual expeditions in Uttarkashi, where she built her climbing skills and developed remarkable endurance against the cold and high altitudes. Her dedication and hard work paid off when she climbed Mt. Everest, the world's highest peak, in 1992 at the age of twenty. Alongside her climbing abilities, she gained respect for her kindness and teamwork. Her care for others and her ability to work well in a team made her stand out.

In the following year, she joined an Indo-Nepalese Women’s Expedition and scaled Mt. Everest once again, becoming the first woman to achieve this remarkable feat twice. Her achievements brought great pride to the nation and secured a special place for India in the world of mountaineering. For her accomplishments, she was honored with the Padma Shri by the Indian government. Beyond her mountaineering success, Santosh is also known for her efforts to protect the environment. During her expeditions, she collected 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas, showing her commitment to keeping the mountains clean.

Summary of Reach for the Top Part 2: Maria Sharapova Summary

Maria Sharapova was born in Siberia, Russia. She was a calm, confident, and friendly teenager who reached the top of women’s tennis in just four years. Her journey to becoming a top player began at the age of nine when she went to America for formal training. Only her father accompanied her to Florida, as her mother couldn’t join them due to visa issues. Maria had to live apart from her mother for two years, which was very difficult for her. Her father was busy working hard to support her training, so she didn’t get much time with him either.

At the training centre, Maria was the youngest and often faced bullying from other trainees. However, these challenges only made her stronger and more determined. She worked hard and learned to take care of herself. She never thought about giving up, as she was focused on reaching her goal. Her strong will and dedication paid off when she won the Women’s Singles title at Wimbledon in 2004. By 2005, she had become the number one women’s tennis player in the world.

Maria’s journey has inspired many young people. She believes that all the sacrifices she made were worthwhile. Her confident way of speaking shows her belief in herself. For Maria, hard work is the key to success. Though she plays for Russia and is proud of her Russian roots, she also enjoys fashion, singing, and dancing. She loves reading and has a special fondness for evening gowns.

Maria’s talent, determination, and willingness to make sacrifices led her to achieve success and fame.

In English, Reach for The Top Summary

Reach for the Top is divided into two segments, one about Santosh Yadav and the other about Maria Sharapova. Santosh is the protagonist of the first part. Santosh was the only woman in the world to have conquered Mt. Everest twice when she wrote this narrative. It opens by describing her birth in a community that regarded girls as a curse. We learn that Haryana is her birthplace, and she defies cultural expectations by claiming her identity.

She had been subjected to gender prejudice since she was a child, and she determined to forge her own path. She applied for admission in Delhi and paid for her education entirely on her own, performing part-time jobs. She then moved to a hostel in Jaipur, where her life began to alter. She decided to join a mountaineering adventure and never looked back. She earned it through hard effort and a professional course in which she succeeded.

Then, at the age of 20, she scaled Mount Everest in 1992. She was the first woman to do it, and she even helped another climber by sharing her oxygen. She made India proud by making history, and the government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri award. After that, we get Part II, which focuses on Maria Sharapova, a well-known tennis player. We hear about her rise to the top of the women's tennis rankings. She worked hard, put in a lot of effort, and made a lot of sacrifices to become a top tennis player.

The intimate story of her life reveals that she began her journey to become a great tennis player at a young age. She was born in Siberia, Russia, and left her home at the age of nine to pursue her goal. At the age of nine, she had to separate from her mother and relocate to Florida with her father. Her father worked long and hard hours to pay for her education, and he was bullied because she was a foreigner. We hear about her dance, singing, and fashion interests. Finally, we discover that, while money is important, she has always aspired to be number one.

The End of "Reach for The Top"

To summarise the Reach for the Top summary, we learn from these two amazing women that if we put our minds to it, perseverance, hard work, and dedication will always be rewarded.