Nepali man aims to be the shortest man to climb Mount Everest

Kathmandu, Apr 23 (EFE).- Nepali goldsmith Sagar Bishwakarma Sunar is 3 feet and 7 inches (109 cm) tall.

Not only is he short but he has other physical disabilities too: a tilt to his walk, heels that come together and toes that point outward when he stands straight.

All his friends gained height except him, a condition that, coupled with his family’s economic background, caused him to suffer from an inferiority complex.

He didn’t have any dreams for his career as well.

He has been following his ancestral profession. Sunar is a Hindu caste in Nepal referring to the community of people who work as goldsmiths.

“I have never asked doctors about the reason. I also don’t know why I remained short,” said the 28-year-old, who dropped out of school after Class 5.

But now he has a big dream. To reach the top of the world’s highest peak in order to inspire others like him.

Next month, he will climb Mount Everest in a bid to become the world’s shortest man to reach its summit.

His aim is to show the world that everyone, despite their physical disability, are equal in society.

Bhishma Raj Bhattarai, an official at the Department of Tourism, which issues climbing permits, told EFE that the agency does not have a record of any other person having climbed the 8,848.86-meter-high Everest as the shortest person.

“We have wished him [Sunar] success,” he said.

Sunar left Kathmandu for Manthali on Tuesday and then flew to Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest.

Born in Kaski, 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Kathmandu, near Pokhara, a major tourist destination, Sunar wants to spread the message that differently-abled persons should be given the same rights and fundamental freedoms as others in society.

“We don’t have disability-friendly infrastructure. People treat us differently,” he said. “I want to prove that we can do what others can do.”

“By scaling Everest, I want to show the world that nothing is impossible if there is determination and perseverance,” he added.

Sunar also wants to establish a foundation to support people who are physically challenged and discriminated against by society.

Sunar has already climbed Ramdung peak (5,925m) in Rolwaling to prepare for his ascent to Everest’s summit.

Foreigners pay $11,000 to obtain a permit to climb Everest and spend anywhere between $40,000 and $90,000 for the entire expedition.

For a Nepali, the climbing permit is only $625.

Sunar said the estimated cost of his expedition was $70,000.