South Africans Welcome Saray Khumalo Back Home
She is the first Black African woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Saray Khumalo became the first Black African woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest two weeks ago. Her fourth attempt at climbing the colossal mountain, Khumalo was determined to prove that Black African women are just as capable as all those who climbed Everest before them.
Khumalo climbed Mount Everest to help raise funds for a variety of organisations and initiatives geared to supporting disadvantaged children. She dedicated her historic climb to African children, urging them to "reach their own individual Everest".
However, the historic climb was not without tragedy. One of Khumalo's climbing partners, Ravi Thakar, died after having reached the peak.
No stranger to reaching some of the toughest summits in the world, Khumalo has also climbed Mount Kilamanjaro in Tanzania, Mera Peak in Nepal and Mount Elbrus traverse in southern Russia, according to News24.
Hundreds of South Africans recently welcomed Khumalo as she arrived at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. At a press briefing, Khumalo said:
"It wasn't just a personal quest. It was something I embarked on in an effort to educate the African child. Everything that I have done, I've done because somebody invested in my education. I believe my achievement means that, in a small way, I took every African, who might have been told that they couldn't consider their pursuit, with me to the top of the world."
Those on social media have also given Khumalo a warm welcome:
