Age No Bar: Fitness Goal at 50 Aditya Gupta, Founder, The Furniture Republic, reveals his Everest story.
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Aditya Gupta, owner of The Furniture Republic, The Rug Republic and Sharda Exports India has successfully climbed Mt.Everest at the age of 50! The Delhi entrepreneur has smashed stereotypes by pushing the envelope. Today, his kitty is full of tales of many thrilling expeditions from Mount Kilimanjaro to Mutnovsky Volcano. So, a year back he set his eyes on the highest peak in the world standing at 8,848 metres. It took him nine months of rigorous training and building stamina and shedding 12kg of weight before he felt he was ready.
Fortune favours the brave and in the month of May, Aditya fulfilled his long-cherished dream and has returned a changed man. Mount Everest is currently in news for overcrowding. The man who witnessed the situation first hand, explains, "It is also an advantage, not just a problem. The step marks on the ice surface make it easier to negotiate while scaling the massive walls.
The ropes are there for support and safety but minus the steps cut out on the ice, the very path would be way more difficult to tread. Well, blessings come in all forms." But he also adds, "Some crowding is unavoidable as Nepal won't reduce permits. The weather windows cause restrictions on how many days are open for the summit and that's uncertain till the last min. Too many unqualified agencies and sherpas are involved there along with unqualified climbers. The place is a dangerous cocktail of risk and problems. One needs to be very cautious before deciding to go".
Brands I swear by: no one brand as such. But Armani for Jackets and Bally for shoes tend to be favorites. I end up splurging on fine watches too!
Favourite holiday Destination: Africa
Sports I Play: Squash. But not any more though. I was in my univ team and continued for several years later.
I'm currently reading: One up on Wall Street
Favourite sport: Adventures are more my thing now.
My workout regime: Have a comprehensive home gym. Thrice a week workout with my trainer.
Gadget I am hooked to: Just my phone! Samsung S9 - simple!
Favourite Food: Thai
My life hack: Time management is key. Multi-tasking must be mastered not avoided! :)
What is your style of leadership? Honestly, it depends on the style the subordinate needs. But generally speaking it is considered to be somewhat tough on those who need to be pushed and easy on the self driven members of my team.
Entrepreneur I admire: NR Narayanmurthy - because he taught others how to share wealth generation.
Favourite trek: Gokyo Lakes, Nepal
How was the experience of scaling the mountain?: It is a life-transforming experience in various ways. It teaches you about mental toughness, focus, optimism, self-confidence, courage, the power of goals, and the lesson of breaking the most monumental task into smaller bits to overcome them.
Any tips or tricks that worked in your favour?:
1. preparation needs to be in proportion to the task at hand.
2. One step at a time with unshakable perseverance
3. Expect to deal with the unexpected.
(This article was first published in the July 2019 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. To subscribe, click here)
