Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala

Jayanthi is an advocate for women's rights in Sri Lanka and spent most of her life researching gender studies and women's rights. She formed a collaboration with fellow mountaineer Johann Peries for several expeditions. She was also included in the BBC's list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2017. In March 2019, she was named as one of the most powerful influential women and was also listed among women change-makers in Sri Lanka by the Parliament of Sri Lanka coinciding with the International Women's Day.

Kuru-Utumpala reached the summit of Mount Everest successfully at 5:03 AM on 21 May 2016 whereas his partner Johann wasn't able to complete the feat as his oxygen tank failed 400 metres before the summit. Peries attained a height of 8,400 m, which is beyond Camp IV (the final camp on the southern ascent route, on the South Col). Jayanthi went into become the first Sri Lankan as well as first and only Sri Lankan woman to have conquered the Everest. Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala's summit also made Sri Lanka as the fourth country in the world after Poland, Croatia and South Africa, in which a woman becoming the first person to reach the top of Mount Everest.

Jayanthi along with Johann trained to summit the Everest from 2014 and involved in various recreational activities such as swimming, climbing. In April 2016, the duo announced that they were on a mission to climb Mount Everest. She along with Peries formed the Sri Lankan Everest Expedition campaign, 2016. The expedition which costed around USD 136 000 was supported by the mountaineering company International Mountain Guides who provided them with guide support, Sherpa support, logistics, meals and accommodation during their expedition. Kuru-Utumpala and Peries were accompanied by Nepalese Sherpa Ang Karma (Kuru-Utumpala) and Ang Pasang (Peries).

She teamed up with Johann Peries in 2011 and have significantly worked together in several successful expeditions including summit of Adam's Peak, Island Peak in 2012, summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2014 and historical summit of Mount Everest in 2016. She also completed expeditions such as summit of Paarl Rocks in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Arneles Mendoza in Argentina, Pyrenees in Spain and the Ben Nevis in England.

She has also done researches on gender studies especially on women's rights while pursuing her higher studies. Since 2003, she has been a vital key member of Sri Lanka's Women's movement as well as being a part of Women and Media Collective. She served as a specialist in gender and sexuality at the Care International Sri Lanka in April 2015. In 2016, she was appointed as the first ever goodwill ambassador for Women's rights in Sri Lanka by the then minister of Women's Affairs Chandrani Bandara Jayasinghe.

She joined the Bishop's College in 1984 for her primary education and also pursued her secondary education at the same school until 1998. After finishing her schooling, she joined the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in 1999 to pursue diploma in journalism and communication. She joined the Delhi University in 2000 and obtained both BA degree and undergraduate degree in English literature in 2003. She also obtained a post graduate diploma in 2007 in Women's studies from the University of Colombo. Jayanthi also won a scholarship to study at the prestigious University of Sussex in UK and obtained her MA degree from the university in 2009.

Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala (Sinhala: ජයන්ති කුරු උතුම්පාල ) (born 3 September 1979) is a Sri Lankan adventurer, professional rock climber, and LGBT and women's rights activist. She is the first person from Sri Lanka to summit Mount Everest.

Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala was born on 3 September 1979 in Colombo. Her father Nissanka is a mechanical engineer and her mother Jacinta was a manager in the hospitality industry. Her elder brother Rukshan attended the St. Thomas College in Mount Lavinia. She was described as a fearless person at her young age by her brother. During her childhood, her friends described her as a tomboy because her appearance resembled similar to a boy and she was warned by her friends that she would develop biceps and triceps because of climbing trees and mountains.