Kirstie Ennis, a retired U.S. Marine Corps sergeant and amputee, turned back just 200 meters from the peak of Mount Everest due to safety concerns.
Who is she: Ennis, injured in a helicopter accident in Afghanistan in 2012, has scaled six of the “sevens summits”—the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.
* She almost reached Everest’s peak in 2019 when her team’s oxygen ran low.
Decision to stop: Ennis decided to turn back when she realized proceeding was not worth the risk to her and her team, given the number of climbers and potential issues with her prosthetic limb.
* She told NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly that she’s proud of the decision, keeping her team and self-preservation in mind.
Future plans: Ennis intends to attempt Everest again next year and already has goals to be the first above-the-knee amputee to swim the English Channel and compete in the World Marathon Challenge.
* She also wants to complete the Great Divide ride—a 2,600-mile transcontinental mountain bike ride from Canada to Mexico.
This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.
Leave a Reply