SIDDIPET : What does a nine-year-old do when his father works in the Prohibition and Excise department? For a child in Hanuma tanda of Siddipet district, the answer lies on mountain peaks.
Vihaan Ram, son of Thirupathi Nayak (who works in Prohibition & Excise department), is carrying forward his father’s fight against harmful substances in his own way — by spreading the message ‘Say No to Drugs’ from some of the world’s highest summits.
On Saturday, the nine-year-old scaled Mount Kosciuszko (7,310 ft), the highest peak in Australia, marking his third major climb. As his father enforces the law on the ground, Vihaan is taking the message higher—across continents.
‘Discipline is key’
An India Book of Records and International Book of Records holder, Vihaan has already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa (5,685 metres) and Mount Pathalsu (4,250 metres) in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, in October 2024.
During each expedition, he carries a banner promoting a drug-free lifestyle, urging youth to focus on health, sports and positive goals. His message is clear: strength and success come through discipline, not harmful substances.
Hailing from Hanuma tanda in Dhoolimitta mandal of Siddipet district, Vihaan is now among the youngest international mountaineers from the region, having climbed peaks across Asia, Africa and Australia.
For Thirupathi Nayak, who works to curb substance abuse through his official duties, watching his son take the same message to mountaintops has added a new dimension to his mission.