Climbing Mt. Everest is a dream of every adventurer. Over 1,500 people have reached the summit since 1953 and about 170 have lost their lives. Many have made it to the top of it. It is even more surprising that the people who are disabled have also proved themselves.
We can take the example of Mark Inglis, a 47-year-old New Zealander who lost both legs 25 years ago and became the first double amputee Mount Everest climber on 15th May, 2006.
Inglis was stuck in an ice cave in an intense blizzard for 14 days on Mount Cook in New Zealand in 1982 and lost both legs below the knee to frostbite.
However, his disability did not hinder him from winning a cycling silver medal in the 200 Sydney Paralympic Games and from scaling the 8,201m Cho Oyu on his 45th birthday.
He had a strong will to stand atop the summit of Mount Everest and here also his disability did not hinder him and he broke the record by becoming the first double amputee Mount Everest climber.
Inglis faced many problems while he was on his expedition to Mt. Everest. Ten days before the summit day, he broke his artificial legs and had to rebuild them on the mountain. His oxygen mask broke on the last day and he got only 20 percent oxygen. But iron-willed mountaineer did not give up and finally proved himself.
He raised US$40,000 for the Cambodia Trust through his Everest climb. His Everest expedition was filmed for the Discovery series Everest: Beyond the Limit.
Many people have set the records by climbing the highest point on Earth. Even though there are health risks, Everest climbers face in their quest for that one breathtaking moment atop the mountain, but nothing is able to stop them. The disabled climbers such as Mark Inglis and many more have proved that nothing is impossible in this world; the only thing needed is the strong determination.
Source: nst online
