Double Amputee Successfully Climbs Africa's Tallest Peak

After experiencing a horrific accident in 2022, Sarah de Lagarde lost her arm and leg. Despite being a double amputee, she recently found herself standing atop the tallest mountain in Africa.

Path looking toward Mount Kilimanjaro / Unsplash

While on her way home from work one night in September of 2022, Sarah de Lagarde's life changed in the blink of an eye. After slipping on the platform of High Barnet Tube Station, she was struck by two trains. While she survived the accident, she suffered several injuries, including the loss of an arm and a leg.

Two years later, on August 14, 2024, de Lagarde accomplished the massive feat of climbing Africa's tallest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. This achievement makes her the first female to climb Kilimanjaro while wearing two prosthetics.

This, however, was not her first time climbing this daunting mountain. In fact, just shortly before her 2022 accident, de Lagarde stood on Mount Kilimanjaro's summit.

"All I remember is thinking to myself as I was lying in that dirty ditch in High Barnet that I did not climb Mount Kilimanjaro to die here in the cold wet gravel. I am not dying here. No way. I need to be with my daughters," de Lagarde told New Journal after the accident. "One minute you are on top of the world, the next you're hitting rock bottom."

With endless determination and a strong support team consisting of guides, medical professionals, and her husband and two young daughters, de Lagarde spent several days on the mountain, all leading up to her monumental moment of standing on the summit yet again. This time, wearing two prosthetics.

"Standing atop Kilimanjaro was a moment of triumph over adversity, not just for me but for everyone who has faced and overcome challenges," she stated.

Kilimanjaro reaches 19,341 feet and continues to attract climbers from all over the world. Conquering this mountain involves moving at high altitude and climbing over rough terrain. For de Lagarde, giving up was not an option.

Along the way, she raised money for a charity known as STAND, which aims to assist amputees in conflict zones and developing countries. Additionally, she made a pit stop to Moshi, the capital of the Kilimanjaro region, while on her trip where there is a prosthetics and rehabilitation center for amputees.

De Lagarde hopes that her climb offers a sense of hope and inspiration to individuals throughout the world who may be experiencing similar challenges.