Panaji: 30-year-old Tinkesh Kaushik from Goa became the world’s first triple amputee to scale to the base camp of Mount Everest earlier this month.
Kaushik who lost his both the limbs below knee and a hand to an electrocution exercise at Haryana when he was nine year old, moved to Goa few years back and has taken up the profession of a fitness coach.
Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) chief Avelino D’Souza told reporters on Wednesday said that Tinkesh has become the first triple amputee to scale to the base camp of Mount Everest when he reached there at May 11.
D’Souza said that Tinkesh has made Goa proud with his achievements.
Talking to reporters in Panaji on Wednesday, Tinkesh said that initially, he thought that the trek would be easy as he is a fitness coach, though he did not had any experience of mountaineering.
“I did not had any prior experience in mountaineering. I prepared for that before going for the base camp. I am fitness coach by profession, I thought it will be easy trek for me,” he said.
The 30-year-old said that when he went on the ground and started the work, on the first day, it was very painful for him because of his level of amputation and prosthetic limbs.
“I found trek to be challenging. On the second day, I said that I have to do it. It’s doable trek. In between my health was bad, I suffered acute mountain bout,” he said.
Tinkesh said that he could finish the trek based on the mental strength.
Soon after being on the base camp, Tinkesh wrote 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.”
