Meet Divya Maiya, the ‘Saree Super Woman’, for whom skiing in the six yards is ‘extremely empowering’

Expressing her love for saris, something she developed watching her mother, Divya said, “I love saris. I grew up watching my mother wear saris, and I am really fascinated. This is a piece of clothing that means so much to me. This is me, and my choice of wearing a sari and representing that tradition and culture on a broader platform.”

Despite her choice of garment, Divya does not skip wearing safety gear like helmets, gloves, and warm clothing underneath.

Divya Maiya loves to ski (Source: Divya Maiya)

Divya, however, is quick to point out that her attempt is not to propagate the idea that sari is the ideal outfit for skiing.

“I wear a sari as a piece of statement. You don’t get to see a lot of South Asians, and Indians do this (take up a challenging sport like skiing, forget in a sari). I really want to encourage them to take up this sport because we want representation everywhere. Diversity really matters, especially for the younger generation. Role models play a big role,” said Divya.

 

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Her journey

Sharing that her tryst with skiing started “just for fun”, Divya said, “When I first started skiing, it was challenging. It is not an easy sport to pick up as an adult. There were lots of falls. But I did it as part of a group, with my partner, and with my friends. So, it was good that there were a lot of us going through the same experience.”

Stressing that one needs a “lot of patience to learn”, she mentioned, “I am glad I did that because I am thoroughly enjoying it now. After you learn it, it becomes so easy. It is just fun. You go up on the really big mountains and you come down as if you are flying in the air. The adrenaline and the speed are fantastic.”

Divya goes skiing on the slopes every season at least eight to nine times to “practice, practice, practice”. “Every year, it is a learning experience and we get better at it,” said Divya.

Divya Maiya feels it is necessary to share the message of women taking up a variety of adventure sports (Source: Divya Maiya)

According to Divya, “There is a lot of fear around skiing“. “I want to break that barrier. Skiing is for everybody. I choose to do this to bring awareness to winter sports in the South Asian community too,” she said.

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