From the depths and despair of the 2004 tsunami, a Sri Lankan prepares to scale great heights

The day after Christmas, December 26, 2004, changed my life forever. I was 17, happily riding an early morning train from Colombo to Galle in the south with my family. We were excited to meet relatives who were visiting Sri Lanka after a decade – like everyone else, oblivious to the tragedy ahead.

Everything was calm when our train stopped at the coastal village of Paraliya. Then a wall of water hit us. It was 9.28 am. I heard screams and saw commotion. Nothing was left undamaged.

This was the catastrophic tsunami that struck Sri Lanka 20 years ago.

I survived, and managed to save my mother, her sister and her son. But I could not save my father – my best friend and my pillar of strength.

With the support of many, I brought the rest of the family back to Colombo. But I could not stop to rest. I had to go back to Paraliya to find my father’s remains.

His soul had left his body but I felt him beside me, as I always have since then, an invincible source of strength and courage.

I had to gather all my strength and courage to find him. I vowed not to return without him.

Finding my father

Growing up with my parents and grandparents, I had been a pampered, somewhat overweight but active child, given the best that a middle-class family could afford. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, sitting with my grandfather and learning about maps without understanding anything. Those were just words for me then, but not anymore.

As I roamed from hospital to hospital, a policeman at Karapitiya Hospital suggested checking Batapola Hospital. I reached there around 6 pm. I saw piles of bodies and people weeping for loved ones.

It was 6.48 pm when I identified my father. I felt devastated as I lifted his body with my own hands.

The people around me were all strangers, but all so kind and helpful. That was when I understood that humans have no caste other than humanity.

I left my father to find a plastic sheet to cover his body, and got one at a nearby store. I hired a vehicle to bring my father home.

I had not eaten since the morning of the tragedy, and it was past midnight when we reached Colombo, a nearly three-hour drive. I had kept my promise to bring my father back. Then I collapsed from grief and exhaustion. I don’t remember much after that.

I believe that every cloud has its own silver lining. This is the point in my story that an adventurer rises from the ashes and tears.

I started practicing martial arts and meditation. I felt strong and unbreakable, excelling in multiple areas, while retaining my love for humanity and for animals.

In 2008, I took on a massive challenge, to pursue a degree in information technology. My father was not there to provide for me. Working at the Ceylon Electricity Board as the Confidential Secretary, my mother was able to help me, and I took on projects to subsidise my studies. There were days when I had to skip meals and refuse to go out with friends in order to save money. I was determined to buy a laptop to support my higher studies.

I went on to obtain my bachelors and masters degrees from universities in the UK affiliated with institutes in Sri Lanka. I was hired as a consultant in a global information technology company. I also became a strong horse rider.

Then I was selected to join Virtusa Corp’s first 11-member team being sent to Australia after the company acquired Polaris. This was a turning point in my professional life. I was with Virtusa for seven years despite offers to join other companies with higher positions. I enjoyed mentoring juniors and feel fortunate to have had that opportunity.

I finally left the company in 2019 to take up a challenge in the IT industry. Meanwhile, I also continued with my passion for outdoor adventure.

In March 2022, I had the opportunity to guide an Indian journalist, Radhika Daga, on a two-day trek on the “lost trail” through the Sinharaja tropical rainforest to the Adams Peak. We were about 2 km from our destination, a village at the other end of the jungle, when I fell and hurt myself. I did not want to discourage my team, so I bore the pain and continued walking with a badly injured knee.

This was a huge risk. I knew that doing this while carrying a 15kg backpack could have made this my last expedition. However, we made it to our destination, and I was able to recover from my injury with nine months of physical therapy. Radhika later wrote about her Sri Lanka journey for the IIC India Quarterly, published by the India International Centre, Delhi.

The experience provided me with valuable insights into my own determination and physical fitness.

Since my recovery, I have managed to trek 50 km in 24 hours.

‘The savage mountain’

In early June 2022, I had another life-changing moment. This time it was a photograph in a book, shared by my mentor.

“Dimantha, I have something for you,” he said, showing me the photo. “Can you climb this mountain?”

It was a picture of the K2 in Pakistan.

That day marked the beginning of my deep dive into high-altitude mountaineering.

Once I decided to follow this dream, I also began making every effort to learn about Pakistan, its people, and its relationship with Sri Lanka. I even started learning Urdu.

I also reached out to several Nepali sherpas. Ngaa Tenji Sherpa, Director of Summit Force, agreed to help me on my quest. He has climbed Mt Everest nine times.

The world’s second highest peak, K2 is also known as the “savage mountain”.

If I succeed, it will be the first attempt ever by a Sri Lankan to summit the most dangerous mountain in the world.

Discussions with various senior Pakistani diplomats in Colombo as well as Sri Lankan diplomats in Pakistan led to my first visit to Pakistan in September 2023, to participate in the people-centered initiative “Enduring Friendship” events in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka-Pakistan diplomatic relations.

I took a break from the IT business to follow my passion on a fulltime basis and am now preparing to conquer my first 6,000-metre peak, Ama Dablam in Nepal, April 2025, with Ngaa Tenji Sherpa. This will be my training mountain before I attempt K2 – an island man’s mountain quest, as I wrote earlier.

The pampered 17-year-old who endured extreme conditions while looking for his father’s body amidst so many others has come a long way.

I discovered reserves of grit, determination, and physical strength I never knew I had. I have built up my endurance and am now preparing to climb an almost impossible mountain.

I feel my father with me always as I face life’s challenges. I know he will be with me as I attempt the greatest challenge of my life.

Dimantha Dilan Thenuwarais an explorer and a climber, and an IT professional with more than 14 years of experience. He has a BSc Honors in Information Technology (First Class), Middlesex University, UK and an MBA (Distinction), Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. He plans to climb Nepal’s Ama Dublam in 2025 to test his limits for a bigger challenge. His Instagram handle is @dimantha_thenuwara/ Facebook profile is @DimanthaDilanThenuwara

This is a Sapan News syndicated feature.