It's "No Legs, No Arms, No Problem" for an Atlanta man who is planning to climb 19,340 feet above sea level.
Kyle Maynard is training to become the first quadruple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Maynard will be attempting this challenge in January without the assistance of prosthetics, which has never been done before. He tells WGCL-TV it's being done in part to help raise awareness for disabled kids in Africa.
The 25-year-old with a bright, cheerful attitude was born with congenital amputation, a rare condition that caused his arms to end at his elbows and legs to stop at the knees.
Despite the condition, Maynard has always leaned on the positives. He wrestled in high school, fought in MMA, authored a New York Times best-selling book and has done some motivational speaking. Oprah Winfrey had him on her old talk show, HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel featured his story and ESPN gave him an ESPY Award for Best Athlete With A Disability in 2004. Maynard hopes his adventure will inspire others to overcome their limitations in life.
"I am climbing because it will be the hardest thing I have ever attempted," he said. "I am climbing because I
can."
In preparation for his journey to the big mountain in Tanzania, Maynard has been training with his team at Stone Mountain, Georgia.
He's using only rubber bicycle tires, attached with heavy-duty tape, according to the Daily Mail.
Former members of the U.S. military, with injuries from combat, will be going along with Maynard up Mount Kilimanjaro. He won't be on top of the world if he reaches his goal, but he'll be close enough.
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