Pakistani rock climber
Nazia Parveen is a Pakistani rock climber. She is the first rock climber from the former tribal region of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).[1]
Background
Parveen also likes paragliding, badminton, horseback riding, basketball, archery, and handball.[1] Parveen wants to change the image of women in FATA[2][3] and provide opportunities to the less fortunate boys and girls of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.[1] Parveen has 5 sisters and 1 brother. Her father was extremely supportive in her pursuit of rock climbing.[1] Parveen has done MPhil in International Relations at National Defense University in Islamabad[1][4] with a Grade Point Average of 3.94.[4]
Career
Nazia was introduced into rock-climbing when she participated in a rock-climbing event in March 2010. It was a co-ed rock-climbing event arranged at the Margalla Mountains. She had gone there with her university trip. She is reported to have said that she participated then just for fun[1] but realized that rock-climbing was fun and she wanted to continue with it.[5] One year later, Parveen joined the Adventure Club of Pakistan.[3] In 2014, she became the first woman from Pakistan to enter international rock climbing competitions.[1][3][4][5]
Hurdles
When Nazia first began rock climbing competitively, some of her male counterparts would boycott the competitions that she was participating in.[1][4]
Career achievements
Nazia Parveen won first place in 28 consecutive rock climbing competitions by 2014.[1] By 2016, she had won thirty-two consecutive rock-climbing competitions.[4][5] In four of the twenty-eight competitions, she won by beating the males.[1][4][5] In March 2011, Parveen participated in the 5th Pakistan Open Climbing Competition and was awarded with a special trophy for her record-breaking performance.[6] Parveen once participated in the Chenab Rock Climbing Competition and set a record by beating her competition by a lead twelve times greater.[3] In March 2011, she participated in the 5th Pakistan Open Climbing Competition, a national level event. She won the competition and set a record in female categories.[3] She was also the instructor of the Adventure Club of Pakistan after she won five competitions.[3] She was featured in The News Women Power 50 in 2017.[7] Parveen's name is also added in the Pakistan Book of Records.[8]
Reaction from locals
Parveen's family members and locals were initially perplexed over her choice over rock-climbing.[1][5] They would often tell her that rock climbing isn't a girl's sport. However, after winning competitions, she started getting support from her extended family and locals. Currently, they are proud of her accomplishments.[1]
Government support
Parveen wrote a letter to the Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa asking for help and he announced that he would take care of all the expenses.[3] Parveen believes that further government support is required for more future accomplishments. Pakistan already offers some of the world's best rock-climbing and mountaineering opportunities in the form of the mountain ranges of the Karakoram, Hindukush, and the Himalayas.[6] According to her, rock climbing should be included in the games listed by the Pakistan Sports Board and should also include coaching camps and training programs.[3]
Charitable activities
Parveen runs two clubs near Islamabad where she conducts training sessions for women. She also gives motivational speeches in universities.[5]
References