NPR

Double Amputee Summits Everest Decades After Losing Feet In Failed Attempt

Severe frostbite claimed Xia Boyu's feet during his first failed attempt in 1975. Then, lymphoma claimed his legs beneath the knee. Still, Xia kept trying — and on Monday, he finally reached the top.
Xia Boyu, seen here on the outskirts of Kathmandu in early April, lost both his legs to frostbite on Mount Everest four decades ago. On Monday, he finally reached the mountain's summit.

It was roughly 43 years ago that Xia Boyu made his first attempt to scale Mount Everest. The Chinese climber had been in his mid-20s, serving in an expedition that came close to the peak before it

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