Papa : Penny, Tony – where are you guys? Let’s gather on our terrace, story time today!!
Penny & Tony : All right!! We are coming!!!
(after 10 minutes)
Papa : Great, now that you’re here! I have an amazing story to tell you about a real-life hero. Do you want to listen?
Penny : I hope it’s not scary?
Tony : C’mon Penny. Grow up. Papa, Is it real-life?
Papa : Yes, this story is real life. And, not scary!!
Penny : I love real life stories. They are always inspiring.
Papa : Let me start from the beginning.
Penny : Who this story is about, Papa?
Tony : Is it a superhero?
Papa : Well, you could say that. So, this story is about Indian national volleyball player who always loved sports and dreamed of representing her country.
Penny : Wow! That sounds exciting already!
Papa : It was. But one day, something terrible happened. She was on a train to go for national volleyball matches. When some robbers tried to steal her gold chain in the moving train. She was brave and she started to fight back bravely, but these robbers threw her out of the moving train!
Tony : What? Oh no! I can’t believe these humans!! That’s so horrible! What happened next?
Papa : When she was pushed out of the moving train. She fell on tracks. Another train from the opposite direction was approaching very fast. She badly got crashed with that one. She got deeply hurt. She injured one leg so badly but no one realised and no one came to rescue her for several hours.
Tony : What? This is so unbelievable.
Papa : Yes, and, when she was lying on track, she was praying for help. Indeed, mice also got attracted towards her wounds. Fortunately, few people noted her and took her to the hospital, the doctors had to amputate her left leg below the knee to save her.
Penny : That’s so sad, Papa. It’s so hard to believe that this can happen.
Tony : This must be end of her career. So sad.
Papa : You might think this girl would give up, but no! Not her! While she was in the hospital, and not even got the discharge, she made an incredible decision. She decided to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Can you believe that?
Tony : Wait, what? She decided to climb Everest after losing her leg? How did she even think of such a thing? Where did she find the strength to think?
Papa : Great questions, Tony!
She trained hard with the help of a famous mountaineer. It wasn’t easy. She had to learn to use her artificial leg and get very strong. Many times she felt like giving up, but she never did.
Penny : Did she reach the top of Mount Everest?
Papa : Yes, she did! On May 21, 2013, she reached the summit, becoming the first female amputee to do so. She showed the world that no matter how big the challenge and adversity, you can overcome it with determination.
Tony : From where did she get the energy and motivation to do this?
Papa : Her motivation came from her inner strength and her desire to prove to herself and the world that she could achieve great things despite her disability. She wanted to show that nothing is impossible if you have the willpower and determination.
Penny : That’s incredible, Papa. Her story is really inspiring.
Papa : I’m glad to hear that, Penny. So, kids, do you want to know who the the hero of this story?
Tony : Yer. I am excited to know.
Papa : Her name is Arunima Sinha. What do you think is the most important lesson we can learn from her story? And, dear readers, what would you do if you were faced with such a challenge?
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???????? Panda Wisdom:
Arunima Sinha is an Indian mountaineer and former national-level volleyball player who became the world’s first female amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013. After losing her leg in a horrific train accident in 2011, she resolved to overcome her physical limitations and achieve extraordinary heights. Despite numerous challenges, Arunima trained rigorously and conquered Everest, inspiring millions with her story of resilience and determination. She has also scaled several other prominent peaks, continuing to set new records and break barriers. Currently, Arunima lives in Lucknow, India, where she works as a motivational speaker and runs the Arunima Foundation, dedicated to supporting disabled people and promoting sports among the youth.
Dear readers, isn’t this story inspiring enough? What are your inner challenges? Do you often cry about it or do you want to take inspiration from Arunima Sinha to convert your challenges into opportunities.
