Height of courage ... Soldier who lost legs climbs Kilimanjaro
A BRITISH Army hero has become the first double amputee to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro unaided.
Pte James Rose, 32, lost both legs when he stepped on a bomb in Afghanistan in 2009.
Despite also suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, he concentrated on sports including volleyball and wheelchair basketball, winning medals at the Invictus Games.
To tackle the highest mountain in Africa, James swapped his wheelchair for “stubbies” – short prosthetics for above-the-knee amputees – and trained for six months.
The married father-of-one took five days to reach the summit of the 19,341ft Tanzanian mountain this month.
He said: “I was on my hands and knees crawling for around 12 hours a day, eating things like pasta and rice.
“The last day was the hardest. The terrain on the final ascent was mostly gravel so the earth was slipping away from under me.
“A couple of times I really didn’t think I’d make it. But I got my head down and got on with it.”
He was accompanied by five mountain guides. From the top he described the view as “one of the most aweinspiring sights I’ve ever seen”.
He said: “I decided climbing Kilimanjaro would be a great way to encourage others with mental health problems to come out of their shell.”
Now James, from Middlesbrough, has begun plans to scale Everest. A 10-YEAR-OLD girl whose brave fight against cancer won the hearts of a host of celebrities has been given the all clear.
Maisy Fitzmaurice, who had a 7lb tumour removed from her ovaries, got the good news this week after her six-month battle.
Following her diagnosis earlier this year Maisy was invited by David Walliams to help write his new book in London.
She also met Wales football manager Ryan Giggs and received a get well soon message from Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards.
An emotional video shows Maisy, from Anglesey, north Wales, ringing the end-of-treatment bell at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool as overjoyed family and staff hugged and applauded.
Her father Tony said: “We are just glad it’s all over. I didn’t expect her to get over it as quickly as she did.We’re all very relieved that we can now start to live our lives again.”
Maisy was diagnosed with cancer in April after complaining of stomach pains. Within days, she had surgery to remove the tumour before starting chemotherapy. James, also inset, struggles during the ascent and, left, celebrates at the top with team Tony said: “They removed the tumour from her ovaries. Doctors said it was like taking a baby out of her.”
Friends and family also raised thousands of pounds to help the family cover unexpected costs throughout her treatment. 1601 - Vibrating Door Bell
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