Athlete Asha Malviya pedals across India for women's empowerment

Asha Malviya, a national-level athlete and mountaineer from Madhya Pradesh, travels across India to spread the word about the safety and empowerment of women around the world.

Rajgarh (Madhya Pradesh): A 24-year-old national-level athlete and a mountaineer from Madhya Pradesh is on a quest to prove that women are safe in India to the rest of the world. Asha Malviya, a resident of Nataram village in the Rajgarh district, has come a long way ever since she dreamed of doing wonders with her life. She plans to travel across India to spread the word about the safety and empowerment of women around the world.

"People in many foreign countries believe that women are unsafe in India. I would like to send out a strong message of women's empowerment to the world, and that India is a safe place for women, through this expedition. The tourism department of Madhya Pradesh has supported me by providing me with a bicycle, a GPS, and a letter for this trip," Asha said.

"I started my journey from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh on November 1. So far, I have covered 6,700 kilometres by travelling Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, and also met the Chief Ministers of Goa and Maharashtra. The response and experience I got from all the places till now are overwhelming," she said.

As a mountaineer, Malviya has climbed several peaks. She hoisted the Indian Flag at high peaks, including Bisi Rai, at 20,500 feet, on the Nepal-Bhutan-Bangladesh border, and Tenzing Khan at 19,545 feet. She is listed in the National Book of Records and OMG Book of Records. She faced several challenges in her life after losing her father when she was just three years old.

"My mother raised me by working as a daily wage worker. She has been an inspiration and wanted me to do something different and reach a higher level. I have a master's degree in Physical Education. Despite facing many financial and family problems, my mother has been supportive throughout my journey. Ever since my childhood, I have had a keen interest in sports and mountain climbing," she said.