Paralympian Sam Tait has become the first man with paraplegia to conquer Australia’s highest peak, Mount Kocjuško, media abc.net reports.
The Australian media reports that Tahiti succeeded without the help of mechanical devices and completed the 16-kilometer route in seven hours.
The 29-year-old Paralympian climbed Mount Kocjuško last month accompanied by six people. He was supported by his closest friends, who also brought his equipment and skis.
“I can’t say I’ll do it again any time soon,” Taits said. “I think I’ll need at least three weeks of rest after this climb.”
“Physically, this was another kind of challenge for me. I wanted to see how far I could go.”
Tahiti suffered a motorcycle accident in 2013, but was diagnosed with paraplegia due to injuries. He is an experienced skier, so he quickly became an athlete.
During the climb, Taits tried to ask his friends for help as infrequently as possible, even though they were responsible for the snow compaction and the quality of the road, which was moved by skis and a hand-operated bicycle. The most difficult stage was the last 1.5 kilometers to the top. In this part of the distance, Tait carried himself up with the help of a rope, but at times he was forced to walk on his arms while one of his friends held his legs.
“Sometimes we only moved 20 meters further, so it seemed like we weren’t moving. There were times when I thought I could do more than I could do,” Tahit said.
In 2018, Tahiti debuted at the Paralympic Games and participated in five ski disciplines. There was also a descent and a giant slalom.
The athlete is currently training and is hoping to qualify for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
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