UAE: 13-year-old girl becomes ‘youngest Emirati’ to summit Kilimanjaro – News

Aya said it was the hardest thing she’d ever done; her feet were bleeding and she felt sick, but she persevered

Aya Fakih conquered Mount Kilimanjaro at the age of 13 and is believed to be the youngest Emirati. “It was an extraordinary, life-changing experience,” Aya said Khaleej era.

Aya’s cousins ​​have previously held the title, the last of whom set the record in 2018. Moawiyah AlShannar summited the mountain at 15.5 years old and his brother Ali at 15 years and one month. Their youngest brother Saif reached the top at the age of 14.

Aya says her cousins ​​are her inspiration. “I want to honor my grandparents, I want to carry on the family legacy,” she said. “My grandparents, Dr Zainab Kazim and the late Dr Moawiyah AlShannar, worked hard to help people in their communities and inspire people to reach their highest potential. They supported our UAE leaders’ vision that you can achieve your highest no matter what goals, and more.”

In addition, Aya wants to increase her popularity through climbing. “I want to support charities like Room to Read that educate future generations.”

Located in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 meters above sea level.

When she decided she wanted to try climbing, Aya was paired with all-female teachers and a guide from across the UAE. Since she will be traveling alone without her parents or family, some doubted her ability to complete the hike. However, Aya’s twin sister and their mother, Dr Amal AlShannar, believe she will do just that.

“Once she made up her mind to do something, Aya saw through it,” her mother said. “So, I knew she wouldn’t back down no matter how difficult things got.” Her father, Dr Michael Fakih, was nervous about leaving her unattended but eventually agreed.

Aya said the climb was the hardest thing she had ever done in her life. Her feet bled and she felt sick due to the drop in oxygen levels. The biggest challenge, however, was the final night walk to the summit.

“That was the hardest part because we were tired,” she said. “We have limited sleep time but we need to get it done. We’ve been walking for 4.5 hours, with a short break, and then another 7.5 hours to the top. I’m pretty sick already, unfortunately I have eczema.”

Faced with a severe allergic reaction, Aya mistakenly took an antihistamine, which left her drowsy and, according to her, the final stretch was “a little tricky”.

On the way down the mountain, after completing the final climb to the summit, Aya took a rest at the first base camp. The camp director messaged her mother, who had to step in. “Throughout her preparation, I let her do her own thing,” says Dr. Amal. “But when the group messaged me from the mountain that Aya was trying to sleep, I got involved. It was important to descend quickly to prevent altitude sickness. There was no reception, so I left a voicemail and gave a strong pep talk .”

The talk worked, and Aya made it. “As the saying goes, mountains can destroy people,” she said. “Physical challenges can be so extreme that your mind will help you get through them.”

According to Aya, the climb taught her a lot. Before taking the plunge, she started a training program of her own design, which included walking and running at an incline on a treadmill. Aya admitted that if there was a second time, she would do things differently. “The group I was assigned to had a professional practice day, but it didn’t fit into my schedule,” she said. “I felt like I knew enough, but in retrospect, I should have sought specialist training.”

After returning, the first thing Aya did was to take a hot bath and then sleep on her own bed. Then she got the best gift of her life – a big hug from her parents and siblings. “When she came back, we were talking about cake and celebrations, but she just wanted to hug us for a long time,” Dr. Amal said. “I think it reminds her that the most priceless things are often taken for granted.”