On June 12, 2017, Dhiren Doshi sat down with Channel News Asia to discuss his recent accomplishments in mountaineering and philanthropy. Three weeks earlier, on May 22, Doshi summited Mount Dhaulagiri, making him the first Singaporean to summit the mountain. At 8,167 meters tall, Dhaulagiri is the 7th highest mountain on the planet. While he dreamed of summiting Everest as a child, his plans changed in 2009 and 2010 due to scheduling conflicts. In the end, he was glad he was able to climb Dhaulagiri, which is located in Western Nepal. Because it is a less commercialized mountain and has fewer people on it, Doshi says Dhaulagiri provided him with more of an opportunity to enjoy nature and reflect during his climb. He spent a total of 38 days on the mountain, with 35 days to summit and 3 days to return to base camp.
Even though Doshi is not a professional mountaineer, he chose this expedition because of his love for taking risks, awakening his senses and ultimately, charity. In addition to helping bring the Singapore flag up and “do Singapore proud,” Doshi pledged his expedition to CYF Nepal, making it part of his mission to fund 42 children through six years of primary school.
For each of his expeditions, Doshi makes a pledge to a cause or charity. “I think many of us have the capacity and willingness to give back,” he says, “but sometimes we are just not sure if that particular cause is it or we’re cynical about where the money really goes.” He explains that he chose to partner with CYF because “it is an organization that I’ve researched, I’ve met the founder, and I really, sincerely believe they’re doing good work.” Doshi believes that education has the ability to change lives, and he hopes that access to primary school through CYF will give more children this opportunity.
Doshi’s motivation to partake in challenging adventures is his “fear of complacency, fear of stagnation and fear of routine.” Doshi constantly challenges himself, learns more about himself and pushes new boundaries. He believes that many people have a false perception of their constraints, but “if you look a bit deeper and if you try a bit harder, I think many of us can actually break out to do bigger, better things.” Since we all have a choice in how we spend their limited time on earth, Doshi urges listeners to devote their extra time to charity and to exploration. Regardless of age or fitness level, he believes people should choose whatever excites them and dedicate their time to seeing how far they can go with it. Doshi leaves viewers with two pieces of advice, whether you’re climbing a mountain like Dhaulagiri or taking on any other adventure: take necessary precautions to ensure your safety, but always push yourself when trying something new.
Listen in to Dhiren Doshi’s interview with Channel News Asia here!
Thank you, Dhiren, for this enormous impact on children’s education in Nepal - and for inspiring us all to keep on climbing!
