A woman who lost an arm and leg after being struck by two Tube trains has become the first female double prosthetic-wearing amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Sarah de Lagarde, from Camden, north London, said: “Standing atop Kilimanjaro was a moment of triumph over adversity, not just for me but for everyone who has faced and overcome challenges." She spent five days climbing the dormant Tanzanian volcano, reaching the summit on 14 August.
Her accident on the London Underground happened in September 2022, a month after she first climbed the 19,341ft (5,895m) mountain. Her right arm and right leg were amputated as a result of her injuries. Ms de Lagarde completed the 50-mile (82km) hike with a dedicated team including medical professionals and local guides.
Her husband Jeremy and their daughters, aged 10 and 13, also joined her some of the way. Each day Ms de Lagarde ascended a further 4,921ft (1,500m), and hiked for 16 hours on summit day. "There was a halfway point where I had really severe phantom limb pain," Ms de Lagarde told BBC Radio London .
But with "motivational words" from her family, they continued. "The last two years have been so hard," she said. "There was so much I overcame during that time, I thought, climbing a mountain - actually this is nothing in comparison.
" Ms de Lagarde said reaching the summit was an "incredible" moment. "I was so relieved I burst into tears. The intense beauty of that place in itself, it looks so otherworldly.
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I really shed quit.