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Meeting the legend
Legend Sir Edmund Hillary
I was excited as a cub news photographer to photograph him so early in my career. On the warm afternoon of December 6, 1988, he welcomed me and my colleague with a ‘Namaste’ , while we stretched our hand for a handshake.
He was most sporting. when it came to answering the most oft asked question to him – “We (Tenzing Norgay and I) reached the summit together. I prefer to say ‘we did it together.’ He( Tenzing) was my guide and I was the leader . To contradict a good friend is not fair because he is not alive to contest my claims.”
On being asked if he was frightened of death from the avalanches, he said it was awfully frightening, “but the urge to survive and the curiosity to know what is beyond the immediate hurdle made us overcome our fright.” He was in his ebullient best and chuckling when asked about the moment when they conquered the Everest. “Oh! I didn’t jump in joy. Besides Tenzing , there wasn’t anybody around to impress.”
As we were about to leave Sir Edmund said, “You have been photographing me all the time, don’t you want to take a picture with me?”
That was the measure of the legend who is no more amidst us.
P.V. SIVAKUMAR
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