At 40, most people settle into comfortable routines. Not Kavita Chand. She planted the Indian flag atop Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest point, proving that middle age can be a beginning rather than an endpoint.
The December 2025 ascent marked the second milestone in her quest to conquer the Seven Summits, the tallest peaks on each continent. Standing at 4,892 meters in temperatures that plunged to negative 20 degrees Celsius, Chand became one of roughly 3,500 climbers to reach Vinson’s frozen summit since the peak was first scaled in 1966.
From Himalayan Village to Corporate Mumbai
Chand grew up in Dhara Naula, a small village in Almora district, Uttarakhand. The region’s mountain landscape shaped her early years. She began trekking at seven, exploring trails that wound through valleys and ridges. Those childhood expeditions built a foundation that would serve her decades later.
After establishing herself in Mumbai’s Mulund neighborhood, Chand worked in media and market research. She held positions at companies, navigating corporate environments until 2024. That year, she made a decision that surprised colleagues and friends. She resigned to pursue endurance sports as a full-time occupation.
Her husband, Deepak Chand Thakur, serves as CEO of NPST, a financial technology firm. The couple balanced professional responsibilities with Chand’s growing athletic ambitions, a shift that required practical adjustments and mutual support.
Building an Athletic Foundation
Chand took up running in 2017, initially as a fitness activity. What started as morning jogs evolved into marathon training. She worked methodically, increasing distances and improving times.
By 2025, she had achieved gold medals in her age category at both the Delhi and Mumbai Hyrox events. These competitions combine running with functional fitness challenges. She also began working toward the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Challenge, completing three races.
In February 2025, Chand ran the New Delhi Half Marathon in 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 52 seconds, a personal best. The achievement came from dawn training in Mumbai’s Western Ghats, where she logged miles on steep terrain.
Mountaineering entered her life in 2024. She started with Himalayan treks above 10,000 feet, acclimatising to thin air. These expeditions prepared her body for high peaks, where oxygen levels drop, and every step requires greater effort.
In 2025, Chand summited Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe at 5,642 meters. Located in Russia’s Caucasus Mountains, Elbrus presented challenges including altitude sickness, cold weather, and steep snow slopes. The successful climb marked her entry into the Seven Summits pursuit.
The Antarctic Expedition
On December 3, 2025, Chand departed India for Punta Arenas, Chile. After preparations, she flew to Union Glacier on December 7, a remote ice runway in Antarctica. A ski-equipped plane then transported her to Vinson Base Camp at 2,100 meters, located 1,200 kilometers from the South Pole.
The expedition followed a staged approach. On her first afternoon, Chand hauled a sled loaded with equipment on a six-hour trek to Camp 1. The work proved physically demanding across icy terrain.
The next day brought a steep climb to Camp 2, where the team switched from sleds to backpacks as the slope angle increased. After acclimatization, the final push began around noon on December 12.
The summit attempt lasted eight hours. Temperatures ranged between -15 and -20 degrees Celsius. Wind gusts strong enough to knock climbers off balance added danger. Weather conditions shifted from sunlight to storm systems.
Mingma David Sherpa, an experienced guide, led the expedition. Bharath Thammineni’s company, Boots and Crampon, provided logistical support. The team consisted of nine Indian climbers.
Summit Success
At 8:30 PM local time on December 12, Chand reached the summit of Mount Vinson. Reports varied slightly on the exact date due to time zone differences, with some sources citing December 14, but the achievement remained consistent. She held the Indian flag against Antarctica’s white expanse, describing the moment as overwhelming.
“It was amazing,” she said in a statement from Chile after returning from the mountain. “I felt emotional and happy.”
The summit represented more than a personal victory. Mount Vinson was discovered in 1958 by U.S. Navy aircraft during reconnaissance flights. Since the first successful climb in 1966, the peak has attracted mountaineers from around the world, though its remote location and high costs keep numbers relatively low compared to other major summits.
For Chand, the achievement advanced her Seven Summits progress. With Elbrus and Vinson completed, five peaks remain: Aconcagua in South America, Denali in North America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Kosciuszko in Australia, and Everest in Asia.
Training Methods and Preparation
Chand’s training combined multiple disciplines. Her marathon background provided cardiovascular endurance for long summit days. The Hyrox competitions added functional strength training, developing core and leg power needed to carry heavy loads at altitude. She emphasized gym work targeting climbing-specific muscle groups. Upper body conditioning helped with pulling motions and balance. Leg exercises built power for steep ascents and stability on icy surfaces.
High altitude exposure came through progressive challenges. The Himalayan treks introduced her body to reduced oxygen levels. Elbrus provided experience at over 5,600 meters, teaching her to recognize and manage altitude symptoms.
Cold weather training proved essential. Chand used weighted carries to simulate polar demands. She also led training groups in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, building a community of over 3,200 followers who shared her transition from office work to outdoor pursuits.
Looking Ahead
With two of the seven summits completed, Chand faces substantial challenges ahead. Aconcagua at 6,961 meters in Argentina presents extreme weather. Denali in Alaska requires technical skills on crevassed glaciers at 6,190 meters.
Kilimanjaro at 5,895 meters causes altitude sickness in many climbers due to rapid elevation gain. Kosciuszko in Australia, at 2,228 meters, stands as the easiest summit but holds symbolic importance.
Mount Everest at 8,849 meters represents the ultimate test. The mountain demands months of preparation, significant financial resources, and acceptance of serious risks, including avalanches and severe altitude effects.
Her story resonated with professionals reconsidering career paths, particularly those who felt constrained by conventional expectations about age and capability.
A New Model
Chand’s journey from Uttarakhand villages to Antarctic peaks illustrated a particular kind of reinvention. She traded corporate stability for uncertain athletic pursuits at an age when many consider such changes impractical.
Her marketing background gave her skills in goal setting and systematic progress. She applied project management techniques to training schedules and expedition logistics, treating athletic development as a business plan with measurable outcomes.
The physical transformation took years of consistent work. Early morning runs, gym sessions, weekend treks, and careful nutrition built the capacity to function in extreme environments. Mental preparation proved equally important, developing the focus needed to continue when exhaustion suggested stopping.
By documenting her journey and leading training groups, Chand created a framework others could follow. The transformation from desk job to mountain summit provided evidence that middle age need not mean limitation.
As she stood atop Mount Vinson with the Indian flag, Chand represented both personal achievement and broader possibility. The climb demonstrated what careful preparation and sustained effort could accomplish. Whether she completes the remaining five summits or not, her Antarctic success has already proved that the most significant barriers often exist in assumptions rather than reality.
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