Rifiness Warjri, a 20-year-old student of St. Anthony’s College and a Cadet of 61 Meghalaya Girls Battalion NCC became the third woman from Meghalaya to conquer the 8,848 ft Mount Everest.
This is the fourth time that a Meghalayan scaled the highest peak of the world after Gary Jarman Lamare, a photographer with Discovery Channel who became the first from Meghalaya to summit it in 2012, followed by Wansuk Myrthong a police constable in 2013 and Dolyne Kharbhih, also a former NCC cadet from Ri Bhoi district, who scaled it in 2016.
Rifiness is the only one selected from the Northeast to be part of the NCC Mount Everest Expedition, 2025. She along with 38 member team scaled Mount Everest, at 4:45 am on May 18.
In the run up to this feat, she had also successfully scaled the 7,355 m Mount Abi Gamin in Uttarakhand in August last year.
RifinessWarjri spent her childhood days at Jylli shop before shifting to the scenic, Kynton-u-Mon, Laitkor. Third among five siblings, Rifiness credits her parents Shlurbor Kharmyndai and Diamondsea Warjri as her source of unwavering support throughout her journey.
Her passion for mountaineering began with her involvement in the NCC during her school days at Auxilium Convent Shillong. It was through the NCC that her interest in the sport blossomed, eventually leading to her participation in various NCC activities. Alongside her mountaineering ambitions, Rifiness is also an accomplished Wushu martial artist and kickboxer, having represented her state in competitive events.
These experiences have helped her develop both physically and mentally, leading her to successful summiting of the world’s highest peak.
For the people of the North East, Rifiness’s accomplishments are more than personal victories; they serve as a beacon of hope. In a region where opportunity is often hindered by geographic challenges, her achievement shines brightly, encouraging others to chase their dreams, no matter how distant.
