Uday Kumar, popularly known as "One Leg Uday" Turns a 91% Disability Into a Landmark Adventure

Key points

1. Uday Kumar lost his left leg in a train accident in 2015 and was later recognised as having a 91% above-knee amputation-related disability.
2. He climbed Mount Rhenock in West Sikkim, reaching 16,500 feet during an HMI-led expedition from March 5 to 18, 2024.
3. Uday Kumar summited Mount Kilimanjaro’s Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres (19,341 feet) on August 8, 2024, using crutches as part of an HMI team led by Group Captain Jai Kishan.
4. The Kilimanjaro expedition unfurled a 7,800-square-foot Indian national flag at the summit; the Ministry of Defence described Kumar’s crutch-assisted ascent as a first in mountaineering.
5. After the Kilimanjaro climb, Uday Kumar took part in a skydiving display over Tanzania and scuba diving in the Indian Ocean near Zanzibar.
6. President Droupadi Murmu presented Uday Kumar with the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2023 for Land Adventure at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025.
7. Uday Kumar has said his next major ambition is to climb Mount Everest.

Uday Kumar’s sporting journey has moved from the aftermath of a life-changing railway accident to the high-altitude slopes of Africa’s tallest mountain. A 91% above-knee amputee, Kumar has climbed peaks in the Himalayas and on the African continent using crutches, and later added skydiving and scuba diving to an adventure-sports journey that earned him the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award.

The defining moment in his life came in 2015, when a train accident in Kolkata led to the loss of his left leg. Rather than allowing the injury to end his sporting ambitions, Kumar gradually rebuilt his physical confidence and eventually found a route into endurance events and mountaineering. His achievements have since drawn recognition from the Ministry of Defence, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) and the President of India.

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From a railway accident to the mountains

Uday Kumar’s accident occurred while he was travelling by train in Kolkata. A sudden jerk threw him onto the tracks, and one of his legs came under the train’s wheels, according to a report by The Telegraph. He later returned to physical activity and began participating in marathons before approaching HMI with an interest in adventure sports.

The transition from road running to mountaineering required a different kind of preparation. HMI, which operates under the Ministry of Defence, provided training and support for Kumar’s climbing ambitions. Group Captain Jai Kishan, who led the institute’s expeditions, played a central role in preparing him for demanding terrain and high-altitude conditions.

Uday Kumar’s first major documented mountaineering milestone in this phase came on Mount Rhenock in West Sikkim. During an expedition from March 5 to March 18, 2024, he reached the 16,500-foot summit in the Kanchenjunga National Park. The Ministry of Defence said the nearly 100-kilometre trek crossed varied terrain and culminated in Kumar unfurling an Indian flag at the summit.

Kilimanjaro climb marks a major milestone

The next challenge was Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, whose Uhuru Peak rises to 5,895 metres, or 19,341 feet. Uday Kumar joined an HMI team led by Group Captain Jai Kishan for the 2024 expedition from Kanchenjunga National Park to Africa. The team’s mission included displaying a 7,800-square-foot Indian national flag as part of the Independence Day celebrations.

The final ascent began at 3 am on August 8, 2024. The Ministry of Defence said the team reached Uhuru Peak at 1 pm after a 10-hour climb across loose scree, steep gradients and alpine desert. Uday Kumar completed the ascent using crutches. The ministry described it as the first time an amputee climber had successfully reached the summit using crutches, making the achievement a significant moment in adaptive mountaineering.

The scale of the challenge was not limited to the height. Loose volcanic material made progress difficult, and the expedition team had to account for weather conditions and the medical fitness of its members. The 7,800-square-foot flag was displayed at the summit, adding a national dimension to the expedition’s mountaineering achievement.

Taking the challenge beyond land

Uday Kumar’s adventure in Africa did not end at the summit. After the Kilimanjaro expedition, he took part in a skydiving display over Tanzania and later went scuba diving in the Indian Ocean near Zanzibar. The sequence brought together three different environments: a high-altitude mountain, the air and open water.

In interviews after the expedition, Uday Kumar credited HMI and Jai Kishan for the training, encouragement and practical support that made the activities possible. The Telegraph reported that he completed skydiving training in a short period before the jump. His experience underlined the importance of structured preparation, specialist instruction and team support in making challenging adventure activities accessible to athletes with disabilities.

These achievements should be understood as the result of preparation and institutional backing, not simply individual determination. HMI’s role included adapting training and expedition support to Uday Kumar’s requirements, while the Ministry of Defence’s official accounts documented the planning, team and conditions of the climbs.

National recognition and the Everest ambition

On January 17, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu presented Uday Kumar with the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2023 in the Land Adventure category at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President’s official award citation records his successful climb of Mount Rhenock and the display of a 780-square-foot Indian flag there. The award recognised his contribution to adventure activities and his achievement as a mountaineer.

Uday Kumar told IANS after receiving the honour that he hoped to climb Mount Everest in the future. That ambition would represent another demanding step, requiring extensive preparation, suitable expedition support and careful assessment of the risks associated with extreme-altitude climbing.

His story also raises important questions about access to adventure sports. Specialist training, equipment, funding and experienced expedition teams can determine whether athletes with disabilities get the opportunity to participate in demanding outdoor activities. Uday Kumar’s journey offers a visible example of what can be achieved when those structures are in place, while challenging sporting institutions and sponsors to widen pathways into mountaineering and other adventure disciplines.

From the slopes of Rhenock to the summit of Kilimanjaro, and from the skies above Tanzania to the waters near Zanzibar, Uday Kumar has built a remarkable record across land, air and water. The next chapter may be the world’s highest mountain, but his achievements already make a strong case for more inclusive access to adventure sport in India.

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