Arunima Sinha is an Indian mountaineer and former national-level volleyball player, widely recognised as the world's first female amputee to summit Mount Everest. Following a violent incident in 2011 that resulted in the amputation of her left leg, she took up high-altitude mountaineering and went on to climb the highest peaks on multiple continents. She is also known as a motivational speaker and the founder of a sports academy for differently-abled and underprivileged athletes.
| Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Arunima Sinha |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Place of origin | Ambedkar Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh |
| Sport (earlier) | Volleyball (national-level player) |
| Known for | First female amputee to climb Mount Everest |
| Mount Everest summit | 21 May 2013 |
| Notable honour | Padma Shri (2015) |
| Training institute | Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, Jamshedpur |
| Mentor | Bachendri Pal |
Born in Uttar Pradesh, Arunima Sinha represented India in volleyball at the national level before her career was disrupted by an accident in April 2011. While travelling on the Padmavati Express, she was assaulted by a group of robbers and thrown from the moving train near Bareilly. She sustained severe injuries, leading to the amputation of her left leg below the knee. The incident drew wide media attention and prompted public discussion on passenger safety on Indian Railways.
While still recovering, Sinha resolved to take up mountaineering. She trained under the guidance of Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest, at the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation in Jamshedpur. After preparatory climbs, she successfully summited Mount Everest on 21 May 2013, becoming the first female amputee in the world to do so. The expedition was organised under the aegis of the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation.
Sinha subsequently undertook the Seven Summits challenge — climbing the highest peak on each continent. Her ascents include:
With the climb of Mount Vinson, she became the first female amputee to complete the Seven Summits.
Sinha is the author of the autobiography Born Again on the Mountain, published in 2014, which recounts her accident, recovery and Everest climb. She is also active as a motivational speaker addressing audiences in schools, universities, and corporate forums in India and abroad.
Sinha founded the Pandit Chandra Shekhar Azad Viklang Khel Academy in Uttar Pradesh, a sports academy aimed at training differently-abled and economically disadvantaged children in athletics and other disciplines.
Arunima Sinha's career is regarded as a notable example of disability sport and high-altitude mountaineering in India. Her ascents have contributed to wider visibility for amputee athletes in the country and have been cited in discussions on accessibility, rehabilitation, and adventure sports development. Her work through her academy extends this advocacy into structured training opportunities for differently-abled youth.