Reach for the top

Santosh Yadav
Maria Sharapova
 Quotes by Maria

 I hit a ball for a living, but I have that passion to keep learning.
 When you look good, you feel good. Confidence with what you're wearing is very important. If
you feel good, you will always perform your best without worrying about anything.
 I look forward to the challenges.
 When I travel, I love speaking to women around the world about the things that inspire them,
the fashions they like, what makes something good and what would make it even better.
 I'm just a very tough person when I go on the court, and I really don't want to lose.
 I don't follow other players or the tournaments they play. I have my own schedule and do my
own thing. I never really think, 'Oh, I want to be or play like so-and-so.' I just like being myself.
 Well, fans always root for the underdog.
Summary

 Santosh Yadav was born to wealthy landowners in Joniya was village of Rohtak district in
Haryana. She was the youngest child, a sister to five elder brothers. Due to the traditions,
she was forced to study in the village school. Since childhood, she was opposed to the
customs, preferred wearing shorts in opposition to the traditional dresses like salwar
kameez. At the age of sixteen, like other girls in the village, she was forced to get married
but she resisted and insisted upon getting educated before getting married. She took
admission in a school in Delhi but her parents refused to support her. She accepted it and
decided to work part - time to fund her schooling fee. Finally, her parents agreed to
support her. Her father accepted her desire to get higher education. After high school,
Santosh joined the Maharani college at Jaipur and lived at the Kasturba hostel. There she
saw the villagers climb the Aravalli hills and was curious to know what was at the other
side of the hills. She joined a group of mountaineers there and hence, undertook her first
climbing expedition.
 Within four years, in 1992, she climbed Mount Everest. Her qualities of determination,
physical and mental strength impressed her seniors. Her fellow climbers appreciated her
concern for others and willingness to work in a team. She saved the life of a fellow climber
named Mohan Singh by sharing her oxygen cylinder with him. She joined an Indo -
Nepalese woman expedition and climbed Everest twice, thus becoming the first woman in
the world to climb the peak twice.
 Santosh cannot describe the immense feeling of happiness and pride when she was on top
of the world. As she hoisted the Indian flag, she felt proud to be an Indian. Being an
environmentalist, she brought down five hundred kilograms of garbage from the himalayas.
 Meanings
 the enormity of the moment: a very great moment
sink in: be understood
held it aloft: held it up high
fervent: having strong and sincere feelings
 Annals: historic records
Bestowed upon her: honoured her with
Top honours: highest award
 Matured: developed
Resistance: the ability not to be affected by something
No looking back: to progress without interruption or impediment
Enrolled: took admission into
Headed straight for: went towards
 Equipped: supplied with
Physical endurance
 Urge: strong desire
Check it out: find out the truth
Answered in the affirmative: gave a positive reply
 Question and answers
Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

 Q1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised?
 A. The holy man who blessed Santosh’s mother was surprised because Santosh’s grandmother said that they
did not want a son. As she already had five sons, they only wanted to be blessed with a gifted child. The holy
man was surprised because every mother wanted to give birth to a son, contrary to Santosh’s mother.
  
 Q2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything
unreasonable.
 A. Santosh was not always content with her place in a traditional way of life. She began living life on her
own terms from the start. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts.
 Q3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school?
 A. Although her parents were wealthy and could send her to a good school in the city of Delhi, they sent
her to the village school because they followed the traditions.
  
 Q4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why?
 A. At the age of sixteen, Santosh left for Delhi and got admission in a school there. She wanted to get
good education before getting married. Although her parents did not support her initially, they heeded to
her determination and accepted her decision.
  
 Q5. Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of
Santosh are brought into light by this incident?  
 A. Initially, Santosh’s parents refused to support her financially. She accepted this and decided to work
part - time to pay her school fee. Then, her parents softened and consented to support her. This shows
she was determined and did what she thought was right and that others had to change their path
accordingly.
  
 Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

 Q1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?

 A. When Santosh joined the Maharani college at Jaipur, she resided at the Kasturba hostel. It was located
near the Aravalli hills. Everyday she saw the villagers climb the hills and disappear behind them. She grew
inquisitive and finally, one day, joined a group of mountaineers to unfold the mystery. This way she started
climbing mountains.
 Q2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?
 A. Santosh tried to save a fellow climber but was unsuccessful at it. Later, she was successful in saving the
life of a fellow climber named Mohan Singh by sharing her oxygen cylinder with him.
 Q3. What shows her concern for the environment?
 A. She brought down five hundred kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas. This shows her concern for
the environment.
 Q4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
 A. Santosh was full of happiness and pride when she was literally on top of the world. As she unfurled the
Indian flag, she felt proud of being an Indian. It was a spiritual moment for her.
 Q5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?
 A. The first time when Santosh climbed the Everest, she became the youngest woman to scale the Everest.
When she climbed it the second time, she became the first woman in the world to have climbed the Everest
twice.
 Complete the following statements.

 1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to _________

2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because _________
3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her _____________
while ___________ endeared her to fellow climbers.
 A.
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch the villagers climb the Aravalli hills.
2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she had enrolled
for a mountaineering course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi.
3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her determination
While her concern for others endeared her to fellow climbers.
 Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look in
the paragraphs indicated.)
1. took to be true without proof (1): _________
2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): ____________
3. the usual way of doing things (3): _______________
4. a strong desire arising from within (5): ____________
5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7): __________________
 A.
1. assumed
2. rational
3. custom
4. urge
5. resistance
  
 Summary
 This write up about Maria Sharapova inspires us to remain determined and make sacrifices in order to
fulfil our dreams. On 22 August 2005, Maria became the top seeded player in the world women’s tennis
player rankings. She made great sacrifices to achieve her goal.

 At the tender age of nine, she left her home in Siberia, Russia to get training in tennis. She went to Florida
in USA with her father. Maria suffered a painful separation from her mother for a period of two years. She
could not see her father too as he remained busy working, arranging funds for all her needs. She was
bullied by her seniors and being a foreigner, she had to suffer all that patiently. Maria did not feel
depressed, rather she was prepared for greater insults too in order to achieve her aim.

 Her mantra for success is to work hard and face the toughest competition. Although she was trained in the
US, she considers herself to be a Russian and is wiling to represent Russia at the Olympics too.

Her favourite hobbies are fashion, singing and dancing. She loves reading novels written by Arthur Conan
Doyle. Her love for fashionable evening gowns is in contrast to her liking for pancakes with chocolate
spread and orange flavoured aerated drinks. The monetary gains and the fame incurred by Maria are well
deserved.
 There is some quality in contrast to Maria Sharapova’s smile and glamour, which makes her likeable. It is this
quality that helped her achieve success as she attained world number one position in women’s tennis on
Monday, 22 August 2005. Maria’s calmness and elegance is beyond her age. She was born in Siberia, Russia
and as a teenager, she took only four years of training to become the top seeded woman tennis player.
 The fast growth of her career started nine years ago when she made a big sacrifice which can be made by very
few children of that young age. She had not even turned ten when she was sent to Florida, USA with her father
for training in tennis. She was extremely sad as she had to spend two years’ separation from her mother Yelena.
Maria’s mother was forced to stay back in Siberia because she did not have the permit to travel to the US. At
the tender age of nine, Maria learned that in order to excel at tennis, she would have to make many sacrifices. 
 Maria recollects that she used to remain alone and missed her mother a lot. Her father worked hard to fetch
money for her needs and so, he also could not meet her.
 Maria was very young and so, she would go to sleep at 8 pm. The other students would return at 11 and would
wake her up, ordering her to clean the room.
 Maria did not get depressed by all this. Instead she became determined and mentally tough. She took care of
herself. She never thought of leaving the training because she was determined to achieve her aim. When a
person has nothing, he craves and becomes determined to get it. She says that she would have borne greater
humiliation and insults also in order to achieve her dream.
 Maria retains her determination till present day. This determination led her to grab the women’s singles trophy at
the Wimbledon Championship in 2004, followed by the rapid climb to the top position in 2005.
 Tennis fans feel emotional to know about Maria’s journey from the frozen region of Siberia but she is not moved
by it. She gives straight answers when questioned about her aims which imply that she accepts that the hurdles
and challenges she faced were worth the result that she got. She adds that she is competitive and works hard as
she considers it to be a part of her work. This is Maria’s secret for success.
 Maria’s speech has an American accent but she is proud to be a Russian. She says that USA is a big part of her
life because she trained there but in the core of her heart, she is a Russian. She holds the citizenship of Russia,
her ancestors are Russians and she is willing to represent Russia at the Olympics too.
 Like other teenagers her age, Maria’s favourite pastimes are fashion, singing and dancing. She likes to read
novels written by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. She likes to wear fashionable evening
gowns. Looking at her fit body, it is unbelievable that she likes to eat pancakes with chocolate spread and drinks
orange flavored aerated drinks.
 Maria cannot be put into a particular category. Her talent, urge to succeed and sacrificing nature helped her
reach the top position in women’s tennis. No one will oppose the benefits that she is getting now because she
made many sacrifices to get them. She says that money does motivate her to work hard. Tennis is both a sport and
a business but the most important aspect for her was to reach the top spot in women’s tennis. It was this dream
that kept her working further.
Extra Questions and Answers:
 How was Santosh different from the other girls of her village?
 Unlike other girls of her village, Santosh was not content with the traditional way of life. She used to wear shorts
and went on to study further at Delhi. She did not get married at sixteen as most of the girls of her village did
 Why was Santosh Yadav not content with a traditional way of life? What path did she choose and why?
 Right from childhood, Santosh was not content with a traditional way of life and felt that if she chose a correct and
a rational path, the others around her had to change, not she. She wanted to chart her own course in life, rather than
following the age-old customs and traditions. She wore shorts instead of traditional attire, went to study in Delhi
when girls in her village got married. When her parents refused to pay for her education, she got them to agree by
informing them of her plans to earn money by working part time to pay. her school fees. She chose the path of
excellence through education, rational thinking and hard work and achieved unparalleled success as a woman
mountaineer.
 “If I chose a correct and a rational path, the others around me had to change, not me”, said Santosh Yadav. How does her
life justify her words?
 Answer:
 Born to conservative parents, Santosh did not want to let the norms of the patriarchal, gender-biased and rigidly
conventional society dictate her life. Though her name means contentment, Santosh was not always content with her
place in a traditional way of life and wanted to live life on her own terms. In fact, she believed that if she chose a correct
and a rational path, others would have to change and align themselves to her choices, not her.

 She wore shorts instead of traditional dresses as a child. Santosh resisted the pressure to get married at the young age of
sixteen, declaring that she would not marry at all if denied proper education. Defying tradition, she got enrolled in a
school in Delhi.

 When her parents refused to pay for her schooling, she informed them that she would work part-time to manage her
school fees. Seeing their daughter’s determination, her parents had to give in. Taking up mountaineering as her career was
also an independent decision. However, she tried her best not to hurt her parents and wrote a letter of apology to her
father for not having sought his permission before joining the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi. Thus,
despite all odds, Santosh chose for herself a path which was absolutely unthinkable and unheard of for girls in an
orthodox society.
 Santosh “decided to fight the system in her own quiet way when the right moment arrived”. Elaborate.
 Answer:
 Santosh was a very rational and progressive girl, who wished to shape her life herself. She says, “From the very beginning
I was quite determined that if I chose a correct and a rational path, the others around me had to change, not me.” Though it
was not easy for a girl who came from a rigid patriarchal and traditional environment, she decided to fight the system in
her own quiet way when the right moment arrived. And the right moment came when she turned sixteen. At sixteen, most
of the girls in her village used to get married.

 Santosh, too, was under pressure from her parents to do the same. Instead of giving in, she opposed her parents’ decision
to marry her off at the early age of sixteen and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. When her parents refused to pay
for her education in the city, she told them politely that she would earn money for her fees by working part-time. She
politely but firmly made it clear that she was determined to overcome all obstacles.

 Finally, her parents had to surrender. Her decision to take up mountaineering as a career was also handled very boldly by
her. She took admission in Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering without seeking the permission of her parents
leaving them with no choice but to accept her decision. Thus, Santosh rebelled against the orthodox, conservative system
in a quiet but firm way.
 What problems did Maria face as a child while she trained at the tennis academy in Florida? What sustained her?
 Answer:
 As a young child Maria had to make many sacrifices and endure loneliness in her struggle to reach the top. She
came to the U.S. at the young age of nine years without her mother, who could not accompany Maria and her father
due to some visa restrictions. During the first two years of their heart-wrenching separation she missed her mother
terribly.

 Though her father had accompanied her to the USA, he too could not frequently visit her as he had to spend a lot of
time to earn money to pay for Maria’s tennis training. Apart from it, the other trainees at the tennis academy in
Florida bullied, tormented and humiliated her. They were inconsiderate to Maria who was much younger and woke
her up late at night and made her tidy up and clean the room.

 Yet, Maria never let these problems get the better of her. Her eyes firmly fixed on achieving her goal of becoming
the number one player in women’s tennis, Maria endured the hardships without thinking of quitting. In fact, the
problems she faced strengthened her will-power and made her even more determined to succeed.
 One has to sacrifice something to achieve something good in life. Do you agree? Justify with reference to Maria
Sharapova.
 Answer:
 Yes, I agree without sacrifice one can never achieve good things in life. Maria Sharapova is an example of the truth
of this statement. Maria Sharapova had to sacrifice her childhood pleasures in order to become a tennis star. She left
her home at a tender age to achieve her goal in life.

 At the age of nine, she came to USA with her father. Her mother could not accompany her as she had some visa
restrictions. Her father, who had accompanied her to USA, had to work very hard to pay for her tennis training. She
was not able to meet him often. At the hostel, she was bullied by the older players, who woke her up late at night to
clean and tidy up the room. If she had not sacrificed her childhood, she would not have become a star.
 The lives of Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova have much in common to prove that determined and consistent hard
work paves the way to success. Identify the points of comparison and contrast in the lives of these two great players.
 Answer:
 Santosh Yadav, the legendary mountaineer from India, and Maria Sharapova, Russia’s tennis sensation who trained in
the USA, are living examples that single-minded determination and dedication and consistent hard work are the way to
success. Both young women had to struggle against odds to reach the top. Santosh belonged to a small village in the
Rewari district of Haryana while Maria came from the frozen plains of Siberia where she did not have adequate
training facilities.

 Although both girls were supported by their respective parents, Santosh, at times, had to struggle to make her
conservative family agree to her decisions, while Maria’s parents were willing to make any sacrifice to help Maria
succeed. However, both the young girls had to sacrifice the loving and protective environment of their homes in order
to train for their passion.

 Both the women had unwavering determination, physical and mental strength, and undivided focus on their goals.
They both rose to the number one position in their respective areas within a short span of four years. While Sharapova
moved from the frozen Siberia to the plains of Florida, Yadav moved from the plains of Rewari to the frozen Mount
Everest. But both of them are devout patriots and their love for their country remains constant.