Diksha Sundriyal
In Apple TV’s ‘Tenzing,’ the eponymous man’s quest to climb the highest mountain in the world is told through a deeply personal and emotional lens. Tenzing Norgay’s feat, accomplished with Edmund Hillary, earned him a place in the history books, but for him, it was never about chasing fame. His reasons for standing on top of the mountain were fuelled by childhood awe and a cultural and spiritual connection to it, as much as they were made realistic by his expertise as a mountaineer. Still, a task like this takes its toll. Fortunately for Tenzing, he had unceasing support from his family, particularly his daughters, Pem Pem and Nima, who pushed him to follow his dreams.
Pem Pem Built Her Own Legacy
Tenzing Norgay’s marriage with Dawa Phuti bore him three children. Their son, Nima Dorje, passed away when he was four. Their daughters, Pem Pem and Nima, however, got to see their father achieve the impossible. Following the success of his attempt, Tenzing enrolled them both as boarders at the Loreto Convent in Darjeeling, India. His fame called him to different parts of the world, and his daughters often joined him on his trips. In 1953, they traveled with him to London when he was invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. They also joined him on recreational trips, such as the skiing trip to Monte Bondone in the Italian Alps in the late 1950s. The legendary mountaineer also passed on his love of climbing to his daughters.
Pem Pem became an accomplished mountaineer in her own right, and was famously a part of the 1959 International Women’s Expedition to Cho Oyu. In the same year, her father arranged her marriage, and reportedly, her wedding with Mr. Tshering was a modest affair. According to the Nehru Archives, the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, who corresponded with Tenzing, sent his congratulations on Pem Pem’s nuptials. Life with her father and her own work in mountaineering took her to places far and wide. She was a well-traveled person who’d met some of the most important and famous people in the world. Still, Pem Pem remained a humble soul who always returned home to Darjeeling and spent the rest of her life there.
Pem Pem passed away in late January 2022. She is survived by her children: Sonam, Tashi (another accomplished mountaineer), and Yangtze. In her later years, she took over the role of the matron at St. Paul’s school in Darjeeling. While she didn’t seek out a public life, she did participate in discussions about her father’s legacy. She appeared in the 2015 documentary ‘Sherpa,’ where she revealed how her father felt when he wasn’t afforded the same laurels and celebrations as Hillary. According to her, he believed Chomolungma [Everest] was punishing him for stepping on her. Pem Pem also joined the historic Alpine Club’s celebration of the 45th anniversary of the 1953 expedition. In the same vein, she remained a significant part of the mountaineering community and fostered the same drive and ambition she had seen in her father as a child.
Nima Prefers to Live a Highly Private Life Today
When Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, he buried a red-and-blue ballpoint pen on the mountain, along with other offerings. This pen was given to him by his second daughter, Nima. Much like Pem Pem, Nima accompanied her father on his many travels, including his 1967 visit to Sweden. Like her sister, she, too, showed a talent and affinity for climbing. Later, she married a Filipino graphic designer named Emmanuel (Noli) Galang. At the time of her wedding in Hong Kong, her father had passed away. So, she was given away by Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark. The couple had a long and happy marriage until Noli passed away in June 2003, around the 50th anniversary of Norgay’s Everest expedition.
Unlike Pem Pem, Nima has preferred not to talk about their father or her personal life publicly. Little is known about her move away from India following her wedding, and now in her 80s, she likely values her privacy even more. The Apple TV series portrays her and Pem Pem’s strong bond with their father, but it omits the details about his other children. In real life, after Dawa’s passing, Tenzing married two more times and had two more daughters, in addition to sons, from his third marriage to Dakku. Both his daughters, Deki and Dami, are known to be residing in the United States, though they largely prefer to stay out of the limelight.
Read More: Tenzing: Is Jill Henderson Based on a Real Person? What Happened to Her?
