selection camp and is eager to erase that bitter memo

Before Nungshi and Tashi Malik set off to climb Mt. Everest at age 21 in 2013, they hid a letter in the back of a closet in their parents home in India. If they didnt come back, they wanted their mom and dad to know how much they appreciated their sacrifices and encouragement.They also wanted the chance to say goodbye.The Malik twins, from the Himalayan town of Dehradun, grew up hearing what they could not do because they were girls. They were drawn to sports because during their field hockey and cricket matches they felt free from this gender bias. Once they walked off the pitch they were laughed at by their male classmates.?Their teachers even told them there was no future for girls in sports.Their father, Virender Malik, had other ideas. He was the only boy born to his family in the rural village of Anwali in northern India. He had four sisters and saw the advantages he received both from his family and from Indias society.In village life parents consider girls as a liability rather than an asset, Tashi Malik says. The challenges that are thrown at a girl are like invisible mountains.The twins father could see these mountains, but rejected the concept of gender inferiority. He was elated to have two healthy daughters and against the wishes of his family and in-laws decided to not try for a boy.I realized the world was bigger than just having a son, Virender Malik says. We have to overcome our own fears and not pass them down to the next generation.As children, Tashi and Nungshi remember a man approaching their father and saying that it was too bad he didnt have a son.?From that day on we decided that someday we would do something extraordinary to make parents realize that they are fortunate to have daughters, Tashi says.When his girls were young Virender Malik took them on hikes. He showed them the majestic Himalaya Mountains that were practically in their backyard and told Nungshi and Tashi that there was nothing they couldnt do.He also told them his own story about fighting societal barriers by marrying outside of his economic class and by becoming the first person from his village to enter the military. These stories inspired them.So did the mountains.After the twins graduated from high school in 2009, their father signed them up to a basic mountaineering course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in India. Nungshi and Tashi excelled at this male-dominated sport. They discovered they had the right temperament and their bodies were perfectly?suited for extreme elevations. They also found that they could climb faster, longer and higher than some of their male counterparts.Mountaineering was a completely new world, Tashi says. It opened our horizons and we knew who we wanted to be in life.After climbing less than a year, the sisters set their sights on becoming the first female twins to scale Mt. Everest. This dream led to the loudest NO in their male-dominated culture, but from an unexpected source -- their mother.Nearly four years passed before she finally granted them her permission, and with this nod came the money to finance their trip, in part, from a loan she had obtained using all of her gold jewelry as collateral.I thought my girls were dainty and delicate, Anju Malik, the twins mother, says. But their mountaineering instructors assured me that they were made of steel.The 10-day trek to basecamp was transformational, and the twins began to feel connected to the mountain. Virender wanted to make the trip, but he spent all of his money getting his daughters there. He did so knowing that he might never see them again.When Nungshi and Tashi reached the Lhotse Face on their way to the summit, between camp two and three, they experienced something that changed their lives.Their Sherpa, Mingma, just one year older than they were at the time, was climbing a 75-degree gradient ice wall when he clamped onto a wrong rope -- it had been there for many years, was brittle and snapped. From the foot of the wall, the twins watched Mingma plummet 2,000 feet and disappear into a unfathomable crevasse.All we could hear were the echoes of his screams, Nungshi says. We became numb. We didnt know what to do. We stood there for hours not sure what had actually happened.Returning to basecamp, Nungshi and Tashi could barely eat, think or move. Four days passed as they decided whether to make a bid for the summit or quit and go home. They texted their father, who motivated them to keep climbing in honor of their fallen Sherpa and for all of India. With mixed emotions they pushed forward and became the first female twins to summit Mt. Everest.We were at 29,000 feet, looking at the sunrise from under our feet and it gave us a sense of belonging and achievement for our nation, Nungshi says. But even while we were celebrating, we had this troubling thought that this could be the end.After conquering Mt. Everest in May 2013, the Malik twins turned their attention to the highest peak on every continent and finished the Seven Summits in December 2014. Tashi and Nungshi, then skied to the South and North Pole, completing the Explorers Grand Slam on April 21, 2015.At the age of 24 they became the youngest in history to accomplish this feat. They were also the first South Asians and the second fastest from start to finish, man or woman.Mountains do not discriminate based on gender, Tashi says. If youre passionate about what you want to do you have to back it with commitment.The Malik twins now have their sights set on the Four Icecap Challenge, which includes Patagonia, Greenland and a return to the Poles, but they are equally focused on their mission of empowering young women in India.***In 2015, the twins were selected to participate in the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP), which matches female executives in the U.S. with young, emerging international leaders in sports. With guidance from Susan Cohig, a senior vice president at the National Hockey League, the twins set up the NungshiTashi Foundation, designed to help young girls in India obtain employment in the mountaineering industry.?Two of their many missions include pushing India to recognize mountaineering as an official sport and to look at the mountains as an opportunity to spark economic development in a region that is suffering stagnation.Nungshi and Tashi credited Cohig and the GSMP for giving them the tools needed to set up their foundation and to bring girls and sponsors through their doors.It was a revelation for us to meet so many women who were there to change the state of others and to make a difference in their own communities, Nungshi says. With the work we are doing, we want to open horizons for other girls to climb their own mountains.The hidden letter in the back of the closet was never needed. The Malik twins summited Everest and returned to show their gratitude by giving young women in India the same tools and opportunities that their parents gave to them.?Max Saffer is a Columbia Journalism School graduate and an avid golfer. He is working on his first novel. Follow him @maxavize Wholesale Nike Free Nz . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Nike Free Nz Online . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. http://www.cheapnikefreenz.com/ . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. Wholesale Nike Free Nz .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Nike Free Cheap Nz Wholesale . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU.Hockey Canada wrapped up its summer development camp on Saturday with a 5-1 loss against the United States in Lake Placid, New York. Over the previous eight days, 38 Canadian players got a chance to meet with head coach Brent Sutter and his staff as well as the new management team and take part in three exhibition games as well as an intra-squad scrimmage and four full practices. The following is a recap of the top storylines: 1. Sutter sets the tone Shortly after arriving at the camp Mathew Dumba, who plays for Sutter in Red Deer, offered up a simple piece of advice for his campmates. "Get a haircut and shave," the Minnesota Wilds first round pick in 2012 (seventh overall) said. "I just shaved this morning. I kind of had a mustache and goatee going and I knew Brent wasnt going to let that fly." And, sure enough, a couple of players got their ears lowered shortly after arriving at the camp in order to comply with their coachs desired look. So why does something like hygiene matter when it comes to high-level hockey? "To people on the outside it may seen like such a meaningless thing, but inside of a group its big," explained Sutter. "It might be a bunch of little things, but they create a big thing. "Discipline isnt just important on the ice, its important off the ice. It starts off the ice. And its not just about penalties, its about our overall game and you have to create that culture off the ice. People can say whatever they want, whether its old school or whatever, but I dont believe its old school. I believe its about principles and values. "There are principles and values that must be implemented. Were not talking about a situation here where this is a group of players well have for a few years. Were talking about a situation where you have to quickly bond into a team. There has to be an identity and culture on your team forming very quickly and theres certain things that have to be in place before you ever step on the ice and thats something I stand by." That message was heard loud and clear by the players. "Hes a little intimidating, Im not going to lie, especially when he addressed us [the first night of the camp]," said Ottawa Senators first-round pick Curtis Lazar. "We left the meeting a little wide-eyed." One other small thing Sutter did to try and build team unity was instruct the equipment staff to exclude last names on the game jerseys. Instead each jersey nameplate simply had, CANADA. That stood out at the event as the Americans and Finns had last names on their jerseys while the Swedes had the name of a sponsor. "Were Canadas team," Sutter said when asked about the jerseys. "Thats what we are and were all one." 2. Max Domi channels his inner Tie Late in the third period of Canadas 7-3 win over Sweden on Thursday, Tobias Tornkvist and 16-year-old Connor McDavid got tangled up behind the play. The Swede ended up on top of Canadas youngest player, which led to hollering from the Canadian bench for someone else on the ice to get involved. Max Domi heard the shouts and quickly skated to the aid of his teammate. He had to be separated from Tornkvist by the linesmen and ended up with a double-minor and a 10-minute misconduct. "He did the right thing for a teammate," said Sutter. "Thats what youre supposed to do in this game: stick together as a team. At that point in game, youre up four, you dont mind a player doing that for you." "Were all expected to stand up for each other," said Domi, Phoenixs first round pick (12th overall) last June, "and when one guy gets in trouble there are four guys right behind him. Were a team and we stick up for each other." As for McDavid? He had a huge grin on his face when asked about Domis assistance. "It was awesome," he said. 3. Lake Placid sure beats intra-squad games Hockey Canadas decision to sign-up for the American-organized Lake Placid event instead of holding its own entirely separate camp was a change for the organization. Yes, last year the Canadian junior hopefuls played a four-game series against Russia in the summer with two games in Yaroslavl and two games in Halifax, but that was a special event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Summit Series. Usually Canada has a camp featuring intra-squad games. Such games dont allow for team-bonding events like what happened with Domi and McDavid. Due to having to play games against other teams, Hockey Canada did not invite as many players to the camp this time around allowing the management team to evaluate only what Sutter called "the cream of the crop." Thirty-seven players took part in the first practice and the controlled scrimmage in Montreal, but the four returning players – Morgan Rielly, Griffin Reinhart, Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin – did not travel south. The quartet are basically assured spots on the team in December if they are not in the NHL and as a result its not as important that they be evaluated. The other 33 players all took part in at least one game in Lake Placid. Capitals prospect Tom Wilson, who made his NHL debut in the playoffs last spring, as well as Flyers hopeful Scott Laughton and Habs prospect Charles Hudon all took part in only one game. That is likely a sign the management team is quite content with what they already know about them. The games against Finland, Sweden and the host Americans allowed the Canadian players to measure themselves against different opposition and get a taste of what to expect from those countries in Malmo, Sweden this winter. Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson says its likely a similar format will be adopted for future camps and its possible Canada may look to host a summer exhibition series in the future. 4. McDavid had a good camp even if he doesnt think so "It didnt go well today obviously," McDavid said following Saturdays loss to the United States. "Still a lot of work to be done to make this team." After his first game of the camp against Sweden on Thursday, McDavid gave himself a C+. Against the U.S.? "A lot worse. I was awful," he said with his eyes staring downward. The Erie Otters wunderkind, the early favourite to go first overall in the 2015 NHL draft, was steamrolled by New Jersey Devils prospect Steven Santini late in the third period. It was the type of hit McDavid is usually able to avoid thanks to his incredible hockey sense and agility. When asked what hell remember most about the camp McDavid references that body blow. "Just getting hit like that at the end of the game. You know, he got me good and its just going to be a reminder that at this level there are no easy plays out there and you just got to battle through. "Growing up you always watch the world juniors and obviously the pace is fast and its hard hitting and its good to get experience playing at this level." Perhaps we shouldnt be surprised. Talents like McDavid dont achieve the success they do without setting sometimes impossibly high standards. And we cant forget that McDavid, for all the hype, is attempting to do something extremely difficult: crack Canadas world junior roster as a 16-year-old. It has only been done by five players: Wayne Gretzky (1978), Eric Lindros (1989), Jason Spezza (2000), Jay Bouwmeester (2000) and Sidney Crosby (2004). Despite his sour state after Saturdays game the truth is McDavid had a respectable camp. He was effective against the Swedes, scoring once and creating plenty of chances. He also shone in the controlled scrimmage held in Montreal before the team headed south. He has put himself firmly in the mix for a roster spot. 5. Discipline remains a concern It seems to be a constant theme: how will Canadas rough-and-tumble players deal with the tighter officiating that usually comes in international play? Last year, that storyline dominated much of the tournament starting even before Canada landed in Ufa, Russia. Boone Jenner was handed a three-game ban for a hit (called a charging major) on Swedens Jesper Pettersson during the final pre-tournament game. Russian captain Nail Yakupov added fuel to the fire by suggesting Team Canada was "dirty." Then at the tournament JC Lipon was handed a suspension for a high hit and Anthony Camara was ejected from a game for what was deemed an illegal hit. Reinhart was slapped with a four-game suspension for what was ruled a deliberate high stick to the head of American Vince Trocheck in the semi-finals. Reinhart has argued tthe high-stick was accidental although his appeal was denied.ddddddddddddIf the New York Islanders prospect is on the team this year then he will need to sit out the first three games. So how did the boys in red and white fare in Lake Placid? Well, 17 Canadian players combined to take 26 penalties and two players (Domi and Oilers first-round pick Darnell Nurse) were given misconducts. Sutter did not seem impressed by the officiating at the event although he refused to come out and say anything specific. The coach did admit that some of the penalties during Saturdays game were the result of a loss of focus. Nurse certainly seemed to lose focus during Thursdays game against Sweden. In the second period he was called for his second penalty of the game and then received an extra 10-minute misconduct for voicing his displeasure with the officials. "I may have just lost it a bit tonight," Nurse admitted after the game. "I got to get my stick under control, but thats what happens when you get fired up. But its good to get it out of way now. I dont think I have more of those left in me." What did Nurse actually say to the officials? "Nothing very nice ... Probably deserved [the misconduct]." 6. Bitter-sweet camp for MacKinnon The first overall pick in Junes draft is off to Los Angeles this week to prep for the season alongside trainer Andy OBrien. It seems likely that the Avalanches newest weapon will be in the NHL this year and not available to the Canadian team. If that is indeed the case, MacKinnon admits the lack of a world junior medal on his resume will be a source of regret. "It will be. I think it wouldnt have been as bad if we didnt come fourth last year. Coming here gets you excited to play in the world juniors again especially with Brent [Sutter]. Hes an emotional guy, inspirational guy and him talking about the world juniors gets me fired up. "I could easily be back here. Anything can happen, but if I dont it will definitely be tough not medalling." But being in the NHL is a pretty good consolation prize. MacKinnon has a simple plan for his final few weeks of preparation before his first professional camp. "For me, I want to keep my speed as much as I can," he said. "I dont want to get too big for my own body. My game is quickness and speed. I want to build some strength and maybe put on some weight." 7. Charles Hudon aching for another chance On the day the camp opened Hudon tweeted, "The moment Ive been waiting for eight months has finally arrived." Hudon, picked by Montreal in the fifth round (122nd overall) in 2012, thought he had realized his goal of making the world junior team last year. He was named to the squad and travelled overseas to Finland for the pre-tournament games. But then a back injury (disk-related) forced him off the team. "Its always on my mind," Hudon said. "I always wear the Team Canada hat just to know that I need to be coming back for next year for next world juniors. Thats my goal, thats my objective. "I just want to try and take care of my back. I feel really good. Im not 100 per cent, but Im close to that." 8. Goaltending concerns overblown Thats the assessment of both management team member Sean Burke and new goalie consultant Fred Brathwaite, who has replaced Ron Tugnutt. "I dont see there being any issue with our goaltending," said Burke, who has represented Canada at the World Juniors and Olympics. "Any of the kids who are here are capable of winning that tournament." Fresh off a Memorial Cup championship, Halifaxs Zach Fucale, a Habs prospect and the top goalie selected at Junes draft (36th overall), seems to have the pole position in the race to be Canadas starter on Boxing Day and did nothing to change that perception in stopping 38 of 41 shots in a win over Sweden. Fucales top challenger is Jake Paterson, who is a year older and was the third goalie on last years team although the Saginaw Spirit keeper did not get into a game. The same thing happened at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2011 as Paterson made Team Ontario, but did not play. He calls that "frustrating" and said it will motivate him to finally take the next step this time around. Paterson wasnt thrilled with his performance against the United States on Saturday as he allowed five goals on 25 shots. But three of the goals came with Canada shorthanded with two coming with Canada down two men. And, in general, Team Canada was pretty lacklustre in front of Paterson. Tri-Citys Eric Comrie was the third goalie at the camp and is a bit of a wild card, because he missed the second half of last season with a hip injury. But after allowing a goal on the first shot he faced against Finland on Wednesday the brother of former NHLer Mike Comrie settled down and impressed the Canadian staff by stopping 37 of 40 shots overall in the victory. Goaltending has been a hot-button topic – it always seems to be – around the team. A Canadian goalie hasnt led the world junior tournament in save percentage since Steve Mason in 2008. And Canada has never won a tournament hosted in Europe without having the tournaments top netminder. Those storylines will be front and centre this winter. With that in mind Brathwaite has a simple piece of advice for his charges. "Just try and stay away from the media," said Brathwaite. "Weve been talking a lot about it, but I think the pressures actually coming from the media. The goaltendings been fine." 9. Third times the charm for Dumba? Twice Dumba has come to the world junior selection camp with high hopes and twice he has left disappointed. Now, in his final kick at the can, he has an ally behind the bench in Sutter. Last year, defenceman Ryan Murphy, who had also been cut twice, finally got over the hump thanks in part to a vote of confidence from Steve Spott, his head coach in Kitchener and the man who led the junior team into the 2013 event. Now history may be repeating. "I do know the systems," said Dumba. "I know what Brents looking for, what he likes. For the four years Ive been in junior hockey hes been the owner of the Red Deer Rebels and stepping in this year as our head coach I learned a lot from him." Sutter made an impression on Dumba as soon as he took over behind the bench last November replacing Jesse Wallin. "When he first took over we had a meeting about how hes going to be really hard on me, hes going to be hard on me and really hold me accountable for everything that I do and if I did anything well he wouldnt sugarcoat it or anything." "Sometimes players at top-end levels get away with some things that they probably should not, and it does not help their development," said Sutter. "I told him right from the get-go, This is how I coach, you will be treated like everyone else in the room and when things are going to be told to you, it is going to be done." Sutter helped Dumba become a better two-way player. "I learned a lot from him on the defensive side of the game and he held me accountable all the time and that was awesome for me," Dumba said. "I just need that reliability on the ice so Im not a liability and he can trust me in all areas of the game." 10. Hunter Shinkaruk is making a list Shinkaruk doesnt have to look far for inspiration. The Medicine Hat Tigers forward was cut at last years Canadian selection camp and is eager to erase that bitter memory. "It will always be used as motivation, definitely at this camp, but also down the road when I play those players, who did make that team and if I play against the coaches, who cut me. Its something that will always motivate me," he said. "It was tough. I felt like I had a good camp [last December]. I felt like I did everything I could have to make that team. "At the end of the day its something that made me stronger mentally and allowed me to mature as a kid." The Vancouver Canucks prospect actually inked his first professional contract during the camp. And while hes thrilled that Vancouver scooped him up at the No. 24 pick he isnt about to forget that his hometown team, the Calgary Flames, passed on him at No. 22 by picking campmate Emile Poirier instead. "Draft day, Im not going to lie, it was a little nerve-wracking," Shinkaruk said. "My hometown team passed on me and its going to be something that, when I play the Flames down the road, that Ill definitely have in mind." ' ' '