bahrainthismonth.com | AUGUST 2025 INDIA IN BAHRAIN 67 Call of the A Crown of Mountain Resilience Preetha Deepak, who conquered the Everest Base Camp at age 39, recently returned to Bahrain after emerging victorious from her newest conquest: Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. Beauty pageants are often touted as mere displays of glamour and superficiality, but Haut Monde’s 2025 Mrs. India Worldwide Winner, Ramanpreet Praveen, exemplifies how that is a rather reductive lens. Kilimanjaro, though lower in height than Everest, poses its own set of challenges. Characterised by a terrain of steep ascents, alpine deserts and moorlands, the skill set required is markedly unique. That’s why, it was only after a gruelling eightmonth training course that Ms. Deepak was ready for the expedition in Tanzania. She braved through unforgiving cold, sleep deprivation, injured knees and the immense physical taxation that comes with relentless climbing in nine-and-a-half hour stints to reach the Uhuru Peak summit at 5895m. She describes the climb as challenging and profoundly transformative. “It grounds you in reality,” she admits, “struggling so much makes you realise the value of the small things in life.” Ms. Praveen, known as ‘Preety’, who won the regional Bahrain title aged 50 as well, describes her journey as a year-long commitment filled with discipline, transformation and unwavering dedication. “There’s no real joy in doing something unless it challenges you and forces you to grow,” she affirms. “The transformation I experienced made me a winner long before I faced the judges.” Ms. Praveen relives how she steeled herself for “obstacles, health barriers and mental hesitation” and had to fight not to “get lost along the way.” She recounts the pageant as “a rollercoaster of emotions,” spanning six jam-packed days, which tested her skills and commitment to her Indian heritage. Balancing training with being a mother to two children sounds taxing enough. Bearing the weight of the cultural narratives often tacked on to that role seems nothing short of exhausting. “As an Indian woman, you are mostly just expected to work, serve the family and take care of the household,” she explains. “So when you climb one of the highest seven summits of the world, thes moment hits differently. Nobody can take the exhilaration of that accomplishment away from you.” Ms. Deepak looks back on this experience with well-deserved pride and marks it as one of the most profound achievements of her life so far. “Not everybody can accomplish such an arduous feat,” she states. “So actually climbing Kilimanjaro has completely redefined me as a woman.” From swimwear and saree photoshoots to backbreaking Bhangra performances, each moment brought her closer to both her identity and her inner strength. “I wanted to win for everyone who had poured their heart, time and belief into me,” she explains. “When I succeeded, I brought honour to Bahrain, India and everyone who stood by me.” With aspirations to inspire others, Ms. Parveen embodies the notion that true beauty and heart go hand in hand. She is set to launch her podcast: Be Candid With Preety. “It will spotlight inspiring stories from people who made powerful U-turns in life,” she says proudly. “People who have not only sparked positive change for themselves but for those around them as well.”
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