Braving physical disabilities, cold weather and bad health, 30-year-old triple amputee Tinkesh Kaushik from Goa never lost his grit and mental strength as he set out on a trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp.
While the first day of preparation for the trek was gruelling, Kaushik promised to himself that he will do it and then nothing could stop him or shake his determination.
Overcoming all odds, he reached the Everest Base Camp, located 17,598 feet above sea level, on May 11 after a week-long journey and hoisted the national tricolour there, happy and proud to have set an example for others with disabilities.
"I found trekking to be challenging, but I said to myself that I have to do it, and I did it because of my mental strength," Kaushik, who works as a fitness coach, said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
With this, Kaushik has become the world's first triple amputee to reach the Mount Everest Base Camp, Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) chief Avelino D'Souza claimed.
Kaushik lost his both limbs below knees and a hand following an electrocution accident in Haryana when he was 9 years old. The amputee, who uses prosthetic limbs, moved to Goa a few years back and has been working as a fitness coach.
The amputee said he initially thought the trek would be easy as he is a fitness coach but realised the challenges when he started preparing for it.
"I did not have any prior experience in mountaineering. I prepared for that before going for the base camp. I am a fitness coach by profession and thought it will be an easy trek for me," he said.
Kaushik said as he started work on the ground, it was very painful for him on the first day because of his level of amputation and prosthetic limbs.
"I found trekking to be challenging. On the second day, I said that I have to do it. It's a doable trek. In between, my health was bad, I suffered an acute mountain bout (sickness)," he said.
He started the journey on May 4 from Nepal, saying it was really challenging for him being a triple amputee, but he could finish the trek because of his mental strength.
"I faced challenges a couple of times, my health was bad because of mountain sickness and my oxygen level dropped. I suffered from headache and vomiting, but I had the strong desire to complete the mission because I wanted to set an example for people with disabilities that if you have strong mental health, then you can certainly achieve it," he said.
Kaushik said he felt proud that he went from Goa and did it.
"When I hoisted the flag at the Everest Base Camp, it was a really proud and emotional moment for me," he said.
Soon after accomplishing the task, Kaushik posted on his Instagram handle: "Today, the 11th of May 2024, I completed the challenge of trekking to Everest Base Camp. As the first Triple Amputee with 90 per cent Locomotor disability to have achieved this feat, it was a very emotional moment for me. I did it for myself and I did it for a cause. I thank everyone who supported me, to make this a reality. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Kaushik has made Goa proud with his achievements, D'Souza said.
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