8YO S’pore Primary 3 Student Scale Mount Everest During The June Holidays

When I was 8 years old, during my June holidays I…

I…

I can’t even remember what I did during my June holidays.

But there was that time I fell down and cried. Then I’d remember people saying that men don’t cry, so I will take L’Oreal No Tears shampoo and dumped it into my eyes.

People always told me that I’m special and I will go to places, Okay?

That’s a good thing, right? Right??

Either way…

8 Year Old Kid Trained for 6 months

8-year-old Darrshan Raj Thurairajasingam, some kid from Yio Chu Kang Primary School, is the son of Mr Thurairajasingam Vijeyasingam, a 37-year-old gym owner, who had been planning a Mount Everest Climb with 5 other gym members.

While discussing the plans last November, he jokingly asked Darrshan if he wanted to join them. Darrshan said yes.

Little did Thurairajasingam know… the kid was serious. Darrshan would keep asking when and how about the trip.

So Thurairajasingam began to read up. It was also his first time climbing. He absorbed knowledge about Everest and other children also making it to base camp. Stefen Chow reached 4,000 metres with his 3-year-old daughter in 2016.

No, not Stephen Chow. SteFen Chow, the photographer.

Anyway, Thurairajasingam saw potential, but he knew the risks and difficulties. So he gave Darrshan the ultimate deterrence: gym training.

But unlike my new year resolution that always fails, Darrshan took it as a challenge. 3 times a week, 1 and a half hours each time, running on the treadmill, skipping, jumping, and cycling twice a week for 50 km.

He did it.

THAT’S NOT ALL!

Darrshan ALSO has twice-weekly football sessions at ActiveSG Football Academy at Serangoon Stadium, and his weekly swimming lessons at Hougang Swimming Complex.

And you think I was done? NO!

Darrshan went full in and basically asked for more training whenever he came home after school.

February 2019, Thurairajasingam saw the Darrshan was ready. He bought his son flight tickets to Nepal.

During the June holidays, Darrshan would join the group of trekkers as the youngest, with the oldest being 51.

Trial of the Mount Everest Basecamp

But no amount of preparation can prepare one for Mount Everest. The practice is harder than theory. The journey started on 8 June 2019.

There would be rocky paths, even terrain, cold weather that reaches -2°C, fatigue from lack of sleep, narrow suspension bridges and strong winds of up to 20-km per hour.

Thurairajasingam was fully prepared for his pupil, in case there was altitude sickness or if the journey proved too hard. “I was prepared to let the team continue and to bring Darrshan down the mountain if at any time he said he couldn’t do it.”

But his pupil did not disappoint. Darrshan conquered suspension bridges which were the only thing he described as scary (though Today say it’s his scariest). “We had to cross a bridge on our first day and it was scary because there was a river underneath us.” After a few, he got used to it.

Yeah, just like that.

On the way, Darrshan conquered his fear and didn’t get altitude sickness.

(Presumably, he also hid the fact that he mastered Qinggong and fended off mountain bears while his family was not looking.)

Darrshan didn’t just motivate himself. He inspired others too.

“I was amazed at how resilient he was and how focused he was on achieving his goal to reach the base camp. His attitude motivated me and the others in my team.”

On June 14, a few days away from Darrshan’s ninth birthday, they reached base camp.

“It felt like a big achievement to make it to the base camp with my son. As a personal trainer, it also made me very happy to have brought an eight-year-old up to the base camp successfully,” said Mr Thurairajasingam.

Next episode of Darrshan the badass: Mount Kinabalu

Darrshan ain’t done yet. One mountain down means the next mountain is available to conquer. His next target is Mount Kinabalu, at 4,100 m, where he will be joining his father with other members of the gym next year.

As for other records…

The current world record for youngest to reach the top of Mount Everest is currently Today when he was 13 years, 10 months, 10 days old. Which means Darrshan still has about 4 to 5 years if we’re to see another record…

Or that’s what I first thought until realising that Mount Everest has age restrictions.

Either way, climbing mountains for sure ain’t easy and people have died even just travelling to the base camp and not all the way to the top. Don’t be too ambitious just because an 8-year-old has done it.