A 13-year-old girl has become the youngest Emirati to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro!
Aya Fakih told Khaleej Times that the experience was "exceptional and life-changing", adding that her cousins had inspired her to take on the challenge.
Aya’s cousins previously held the title - Moawiyah AlShunnar climbed the mountain when he was 15.5 years old, his brother Ali at 15 years and one month and their youngest sibling Seif conquered the peak at 14.
The teenager said the climb was the hardest thing she had ever done in her life; her biggest challenge being the last overnight walk to the summit which she completed with bleeding feet and an overwhelming sense of nausea as oxygen levels dropped.
“This was the hardest part as we were already tired,” she said. “We had limited sleep, but we needed to complete it.
"We had already walked 4.5 hours and after a short break, there was another 7.5-hour walk before we reached the summit," she explained.
“I wanted to honour my grandparents and I wanted to continue the legacy of my family.
“My grandparents Dr Zainab Kazim and the late Dr Moawiyah AlShunnar worked hard to help people in the community and encouraged people to fulfill their maximum potential."
Aya also wanted to raise awareness with her climb, supporting charities like Room to Read, which educate future generations.
Kilimanjaro is the highest single free-standing mountain in the world at a whopping 5,895 metres; it is located in Tanzania.
&uuid=(email))