Nungshi and Tashi Malik were barely 21 years old when they earned the title of becoming the first female twins to summit Mt. Everest in 2013. In a span of just two years, they became the World’s first twins and siblings (and the only South Asians) to complete the “Explorers Grand Slam”.
The Explorers Grand Slam involved climbing the highest mountain peaks in each of the seven continents and reaching the North and South poles - their polar expedition was on skies and cross country skiing is known to be one of the most gruelling sporting challenges. They were also the first female twins to climb Mt. Cook (Aoraki), New Zealand’s highest peak, and an unexplored 21,000 ft. high virgin peak in the Indian Himalayas.
In 2019, Nash and Tash formed and successfully led team Khukuri Warriors in Amazon’s World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji 2020. It is the ultimate expedition race in which teams race non-stop, 24 hours a day, covering a distance of 671 km in 11 days across hundreds of miles of rugged backcountry terrain complete with mountains, jungles and oceans. They were the only South Asians amongst 66 experienced and hardened competing teams from 30 countries. This race is featured on Amazon Prime with Bear Grylls as the Host - a “must watch” for adventure sport lovers!
Nash and Tash are fellows of the Royal Geographical Society in London. They are qualified mountaineering instructors and graduates in sport and exercise from New Zealand. They also won India’s highest adventure award, the prestigious ‘Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2015’. On 23 Oct 2016, they were conferred the ‘2016 Leif Erikson Young Explorers Award’ in Iceland given by the President of Iceland. Most recently they were conferred India’s highest women empowerment award ‘Nari Shakti’ by the president of India.Together they have founded India’s first Outdoor Leadership School to build lifeskill through the great outdoors, especially among girls.
Currently based in NZ on special work visa under Edmund Hillary Fellowship, with the purpose of finding and building solutions to some of our toughest challenges for global impact.
This year, Nash married a ‘Kiwi-Indian’ from Invercargill! This is where they will mostly be based for their time in Aotearoa.
