A 49-year-old man from Mumbai has become the first Indian with an above-knee amputation to reach Mount Everest’s base camp. The man is identified as Vinod Rawat. He trekked 170 kilometres with a prosthetic limb, reaching an altitude of 5,364 meters.
Rawat was born in Bhandup and belongs to Uttarakhand. When he was six, he lost his leg in a truck accident. His family was unable to afford the INR 25,000 required for surgery, leading doctors to amputate his injured leg.
For the next two decades, Rawat relied on crutches. At 27, he received a prosthetic limb. Rawat then took up motorbiking and mountain climbing. With his prosthetic leg, he pursued these passions.
In October, Rawat set off to fulfil his dream of reaching Everest’s base camp. Supported by funds and assistance from social organisations, he began his trek from Lukla on October 1. After six days of hiking, he reached the base camp on October 7, completing the journey on October 9.
As per reports, he now hopes to climb Mount Everest itself. For the past 14 years, he has also organised annual treks for people with disabilities, taking groups of about 60 to Kalsubai, Maharashtra’s highest peak. In Maharashtra he is trying to cover all 350 forts.
In addition to mountaineering, he has been riding a motorcycle and has completed two all-India expeditions. He also works as a prosthetic leg manufacturer. Beyond that, he has appeared in advertisements and participated in Season 2 of MTV’s reality show Roadies.
Formerly a bank employee, Rawat left his job to pursue his dreams. Today, he is a marathon runner, biker, mountaineer, actor, and Paralympic fencer.
Rawat and his wife, who also uses a wheelchair, have actively participated in awareness campaigns and accessibility runs to promote wheelchair-friendly spaces for the last three years.
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