The First Female Amputee to Climb Everest

Sometimes, something happens to you and it changes your whole life, for better or sometimes for worse. You can never be the same person you used to be. You might’ve never expected it to happen to you. But it does, and you can’t help it. This amazing woman has inspired us to get back up on your feet, even if you only have one.

A national volleyball player, Arunima Sinha was from a middle-class family in Uttar Pradesh. In 2011, when she was 23, a gang of robbers cornered her on a train and demanded her gold necklace and purse, threatening to push her off the train. When she resisted, they pushed her off the moving train. Another train on a parallel track came crashing into her and ran over her leg.

Arunima was rushed to the hospital and the doctors were forced to amputate her leg to save her life. She was devastated that she could no longer play volleyball. The Indian Sports Ministry offered her compensation. She was given a prosthetic leg free of cost from a private Delhi-based company. Also, the Allahabad High Court ordered the Indian Railways to pay a compensation of 5 lakh rupees ($7800) to her.

Inspired by cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who’d successfully battled cancer, Arunima resolved to climb Mount Everest. After signing up for training at a TSAF camp in 2012, she worked long and hard. After climbing many smaller peaks, Arunima was eventually ready for the final climb.

It took her 52 days, but she made it to the peak. Arunima dedicated the victory to Swami Vivekananda, her inspiration. She’s now dedicated to social welfare, and donates all the money she gets from awards to charity.

She wrote the book “Born Again on the Mountain,” which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dec 2014. She received the Padma Shri in 2015. She also received the Tenzing Norgay Highest Mountaineering Award. She has given a very inspiring speech, which I have attached down with my sources.

With hard work and determination, she achieved the impossible and made history. She is an inspiration to the world and a proud Indian’s glory. Keep making us proud, Arunima!

Author : Kavitha Kannan | Teacher @ BVM International School