Age On the top of the world
Hyderabad mountaineer Shekar Goud’s latest expedition of scaling Mt Kosciuszko is all about inspiring the youth, he tells about his experiences
In the first week of March 2020, the 29-year-old Hyderabad mountaineer Shekar Goud scaled Mt Kosciuszko, the highest peak in Australia. Little did he know then that the accomplishment would make him one of the firsts in the world!
With the feat, Shekar has become the first triple amputee in India to have scaled three summits — Mt Elbrus (Russia) in August 2019, Mt Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) in October 2019 and now Mt Kosciuszko (Australia) this March.
While hoisting the Tricolour at the summit, Shekar posed showing off his prosthetic leg. “That’s my signature style of posing,” he says with a smile as he recalls the precious moment. “It always feels very satisfying to be able to accomplish what you have been working hard towards. The fact that I am the first triple amputee in India to do so is like the icing on the cake.”
Shekar, who scaled Kilimanjaro as a part of mountaineering team of ‘Boots and Crampons’, tells us that his motivation in scaling Mt Kosciuszko was also to instil confidence among youngsters.
“The youth today have several apprehensions about every aspect of life, and in the process, they are losing their self-confidence. I want to inspire them through my accomplishments and call upon them to shed their inhibitions,” elaborates Shekar.
Mt sixmember
ASKING FOR MORE
Incidentally, of the six-member team that ascended the mountain, only Shekar, who belongs to Telangana, and Ramesh, a youngster from Tamil Nadu, were amputees. But this was yet another expedition that reiterated in Shekar’s mind that being a part of a team offers a lot of strength and motivation.
“You don’t feel lonely during the expedition; talking to each other and finding motivation from other is a big help during team scaling,” he says. While getting used to the chilly weather remained one of the biggest challenges during the expedition, Shekar states that disability is only of the body, not the mind. “Humans really don’t have limits. They can conquer anything in the world if they put their mind to it,” says Shekar. “But it is the willingness to succeed that is the key to any achievement. We will keep facing several hurdles in our daily lives, too, but one must keep moving on in life and keep exploring further.”
Shekar, a medical record assistant in a private company, who is next eying Mt Aconcagua in Argentina, admits that managing both work and expeditions is a difficult tasks. But he credits his manager Dr Manish Gaur for all the support he got throughout.
As our interaction nears completion, Shekar sounds as optimistic as ever when he tells us, “I have it in me to complete the 7 Summits expeditions, but lack of funds has become a tumbling block. So also I have begun accumulating funds and am currently also looking for sponsors.”
The youth today have several apprehensions about every aspect of life, and in the process, they are losing their self-confidence. I want to inspire them through my accomplishments and call upon them to shed their inhibitions —Shekar Goud While getting used to the chilly weather remained one of the biggest challenges during the expedition, Shekar states that disability is only of the body, not the mind