From a railway track tragedy to the world's highest peaks
In short: In 2011, Arunima Sinha was pushed from a moving train by robbers, resulting in a life-altering injury that cost her a leg. Instead of succumbing to despair, she resolved to climb every continent's highest peak, eventually becoming the first female amputee to summit Mount Everest.
Sinha's journey began with a violent assault on April 12, 2011, while she was traveling to take an examination for the CISF. After being pushed from the Padmavati Express by robbers seeking her belongings, she was struck by another train on a parallel track. The resulting injuries led to the amputation of her left leg below the knee. While police inquiries later suggested she might have been attempting suicide or crossing tracks accidentally, Sinha maintained her account of the robbery.
During her four-month recovery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Sinha found inspiration in the story of cricketer Yuvraj Singh and television programs. Supported by her mother and brother, and mentored by Bachendri Pal—the first Indian woman to summit Everest—she began rigorous training. She received a prosthetic leg from a private company and raised funds through the Ramakrishna Mission to finance her expeditions.
Sinha's mountaineering career was historic. In May 2013, she reached the summit of Mount Everest in just 52 days, becoming the first female amputee to do so. She did not stop there; by 2014, she had scaled six other continental peaks, including Aconcagua in South America and Denali in North America. On January 1, 2019, she completed her final goal by summiting Mount Vinson in Antarctica.
Beyond her physical feats, Sinha has used her platform for social welfare. She authored the book 'Born Again on The Mountain' in 2014 and received India's fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in 2015. She currently focuses on establishing a free sports academy for disabled people, donating all financial aid from her awards to fund the project.
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