Title: An Interaction with Liv Arnesen and Krushnaa Patil
Speaker: Liv Arnesen and Krushnaa Patil
About the Session
Liv Arnesen is an explorer and motivational speaker. Battling the stereotypes and conventions weighing her down, Liv overcame all obstacles and embarked upon an exploration which made her one of the first women to cross Antarctica. Still hungry for greater adventures, Liv continues to follow her dreams and urges other people to do the same.
Determined to bring her lessons back home, Liv Arnesen collaborated with Ann Bancroft to form the Bancroft-Arnesen Foundation. Formerly known for their work in exploration and education, the team recently initiated the Access Water Expedition Series, a seven-continent, multi-year journey which aims to inspire youth to work towards a better tomorrow, by employing water as a vehicle for change. Beginning from the Ganges in September 2015, 7 mountaineers from 7 continents will lead the expedition. While Liv represents the European continent, Krushnaa Patil will represent Asia. Krushnaa, who hails from Mumbai, is not only the youngest woman in this team, but also the youngest Indian woman to scale Mt. Everest at the age of 19, and is currently on the quest of scaling the Seven Summits of the world. The team aims to activate the minds of over 50 million students around the globe about water issues in different countries.
Their visit to FLAME was the first step in their expedition. Through conversation with the students, they highlighted environmental issues which threaten the future of our nation. “Humans are the only animals who do not know how to coexist with nature”. This bold, but truthful, statement made by Krushnaa was supported by evidence from her own experiences during her expeditions. The Ganges, though worshipped as a holy river in India, has fallen victim to religious and industrial waste. As citizens of this country, Krushnaa explained, it is our responsibility to transform our disruptive and destructive interactions with our environment. While Krushnaa strongly advocated for the expedition’s cause, Liv stood as an inspiration for the youth to embark upon an unforgettable journey.