I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro on my hands

‘I went through four pairs of gloves’: Spencer West at his home in Toronto, Canada. Photograph: Tory Ho/The Guardian View image in fullscreen ‘I went through four pairs of gloves’: Spencer West at his home in Toronto, Canada. Photograph: Tory Ho/The Guardian I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro on my hands I have no legs, so the thought of tackling the nearly 6,000-metre peak seemed crazy. But after reflection, and hard physical training, I decided to give it a go I was born with a rare genetic disease called sacral agenesis, which meant that my legs didn’t work. When I was five, I had surgery to amputate them. Doctors told my parents that I might never sit up, let alone be a functioning member of society – but as a child I wanted to try everything, and my mum and dad were great at encouraging me. I learned to navigate the world . I also had a wheelchair, or I’d get around our neighbourhood in Wyoming by skateboard, just like other kids. Experience: I climbed the tallest tropical tree in the world I went to university in Utah, graduating with a communication degree into a terrible job market in 2003. I worked in client operations but craved a deeper sense of purpose. Then in 2008 a friend invited me to join a volunteer trip to Kenya with a nonprofit organisation. Seeing international development work in a different part of the world, and meeting schoolkids who were interested in my story, helped me find my passion. I started working for the organisation as a motivational speaker. I moved to Toronto, then travelled the world, telling my story to encourage young people to make a difference. But I kept thinking, “I haven’t done that myself.” In 2011, the organisation’s founder told me he had climbed Kilimanjaro and asked if I would consider it. I thought he was out of his mind, but within days I started wondering if I could. I asked my buddies Alex and David to join me, and got support from doctors, a local climbing expert, a personal trainer and my employer. I suggested using the climb to generate $500,000 for clean water in east Africa. View image in fullscreen West and his friends on their journey up the mountain. Photograph: courtesy of Spencer WestI spent a year fundraising and working with a personal trainer. In June 2012, we boarded a plane to Tanzania.