For generations, the stereotype that certain activities are more suitable for boys while others are deemed appropriate for girls has prevailed. As a result, adventure sports such as mountaineering, off-road biking, kayaking, skydiving, and paragliding had been predominantly associated with men for a long time. However, the perception has changed over the past few years. Breaking the barriers of stereotypes, women are now doing every task traditionally considered “appropriate” only for men.
A part of this change is Shital Mahajan, who made history by being the first woman to jump from a staggering height of 22,700 feet in front of the Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, on November 13, 2023. This incredible woman from India has made history by accomplishing a remarkable series of high-altitude skydives in the Mount Everest region.
A Padma Shri awardee and Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award recipient, Shital Mahajan (41) is a pioneer in skydiving. She holds eight world records. She is the first woman to perform an accelerated free fall over Antarctica from 10,000 feet and is the youngest woman to jump over both North Pole and South Pole. Shital is the first woman in the world to have done skydiving in all seven continents.
AR Rahman Song Behind Shital Mahajan’s Drive To Fly
Shital Mahajan’s forte is not limited to skydiving. She was a state-level table tennis player, state-level swimmer, and painter as well. Her passion for doing “something different” brought her into skydiving. Reminiscing her childhood, she tells ABP Live about her love for flying and the AR Rahman song from the movie ‘Roja’ that inspired her: “I used to listen to the song ‘Dil hai chhota sa…’ often. The lyrics — ‘… chaand taaron ko chhoone ki asha (The desire to reach out to the stars and the moon), aasmano mein udne ki asha (The desire to fly in the skies)’ — were imprinted in my memory. I used to wonder how could one fly.”
Shital says, “Destiny brought skydiving to me through a friend, whose brother was into this sport. I saw him skydiving and even teaching Indian Air Force cadets. He was the first Indian who skydived over the North Pole and South Pole. This feat was what spurred me to take up skydiving.” Her first jump was two decades ago on April 18, 2004, over the North Pole where the temperature was a freezing -38 degrees Celsius. With this jump, she became the first woman in the world to skydive over the North Pole without formal training.
Describing about her jumps over the Himalayas, Mahajan says before achieving her 2023 Mt Everest feat, she had four jumps in the region under her belt. Keeping Mt Everest’s height (29,000 feet) in mind she planned a jump from 23,000 feet as helicopters can only go up to 23,000 feet. She said, “Since helicopters are a bit higher and lower, I jumped from 22,700 feet and I opened the parachute at 5,000 feet above the ground.” Despite the risks involved, including extreme altitude and low oxygen levels, Mahajan’s unwavering spirit and professional expertise enabled her to accomplish this historic jump, solidifying her position as a pioneer in the world of extreme sports.
Shital holds 6 national records in 4 jumps, and 2 world records along with 2 Asia records. Shital did wingsuit flying, becoming the only Indian woman who flew a wingsuit. Shital did her marriage in a hot air balloon. She has also done skydiving in a saree. Shital represented India in the skydiving formation, in which 100 people jumped together from the sky to make a formation.
‘Taste of facing fear’
Mahajan’s journey to this groundbreaking jump was filled with challenges and barriers. Adventure sports do not need physical and mental strength only, it also needs a huge amount of money. At the start of her journey, Mahajan received a lot of criticism even from her own family. However, she used this criticism to collect her mental strength. “My critics only help me out for my mental strength and focus during skydiving, Relatives said this is not my cup of tea. Finding sponsorship was also difficult as I needed almost 15 to 16 lakhs and my father’s salary was only 18,000 and this was way much for my family in 2003 but after that one jump I got that taste of facing my fear”.
After the North Pole, She did her second jump as a first Accelerated free fall (AFF) jump over Antarctica with 2 Indian navy instructors. Skydiving in a high altitude region is another kind of challenge Shital said, “When you go to Everest region, the more you spend time in Everest region, you will get more hypoxic and the biggest factor is whether the weather is supportive or not. Shital also talked about how important it is to have the right people or team with you.
Overcoming stereotypes & financial barriers together
Talking about how it is different for a woman to pursue adventure sports in India compared to a broad and considering social pressure and lack of training opportunities, she said, “There are very few women in India who want to pursue Aero sports specifically and adventure sports and those who want to do it do not see that they are not getting training or there is social pressure of the family, whatever they want to do they do it in any condition.”
Mahajan said women face a lot more mental and financial issues, compared to men, if they want to pursue adventure sports, “The stereotypes we encounter, like “you’re a girl,” bring different dramas before marriage and different movies after marriage, especially if you have kids, then don’t even ask. But I made sure that my whole family is part of my adventures. My family was not that supportive initially, but after Padma Shri, things have changed,” she added.
Extreme sports have life risks along with financial barriers and to overcome that fear one has to think selflessly, she said. “It’s not about setting new world records, it’s all about where you want to see your country in the adventure sports. Anyone who wants to pursue skydiving or a career in any adventure sport, just be dedicated to the sport. Love your sport; it’s nobody’s business. I know that I come from a very conservative family. If I can break the barriers, anyone can break them.”
A dive in space
Mahajan is not done yet, she still has numerous aspirations and dreams for her to achieve. She wishes to be the first Indian to do space skydiving, and is currently preparing to represent India in the Air World Games to be held from August 7-17, 2025, in Chengdu, China. She said wants more women participation in Aero sports, especially skydiving, and for that, she is working on a project in which around 500 women will go skydiving.
Her legacy extends beyond her record-breaking achievements, as she continues to advocate for air sports and mentor the next generation of skydivers. Her groundbreaking accomplishment challenges stereotypes and inspires women across the nation to pursue their passions fearlessly. By shattering barriers and pushing boundaries, she exemplifies the limitless potential of women in adventure sports and beyond.