A London mother who lost her arm and leg after being run over by two Underground trains has successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.Trailblazer Sarah de Lagarde is believed to be the first woman with two prosthetics to reach the summit of the 5,900-metre peak.
Mrs de Lagarde slipped on a platform at High Barnet Tube Station and fell onto the tracks, through the gap between the train and the platform, on a rainy night in September 2022.
The mother-of-two, from north London, broke her nose and two front teeth in the fall.
"Then the train departed and took my right arm with it," she previously told Sky News. "I was conscious throughout, and I shouted for help, and nobody heard me.
"A second train came onto the platform and claimed my right leg."
Just two years later Mrs de Lagarde, now a double “bionic” prosthetic wearer, has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro along with her husband Jeremy and their two daughters aged 10 and 13.
After a gruelling 82km hike, they reached the peak at 6.20am on August 14, accompanied by a team that included medical professionals Kat Sizer and Cat Weber.
Their journey spanned five days and saw them climb around 1,500 metres a day, with an intense 16-hour final climb to reach the summit. They were supported by local guides from Alika Africa.
Mrs de Lagarde also visited a centre for prosthetics and rehabilitation in Moshi, near Kilimanjaro National Park northern Tanzania, where she met with other amputees.
She hopes her his visit will serve as “a powerful message of hope and solidarity with amputees worldwide”.
“Standing atop Kilimanjaro was a moment of triumph over adversity, not just for me but for everyone who has faced and overcome challenges,” she said.
“Visiting the prosthetics centre in Moshi was incredibly humbling. It reminded me why we embarked on this journey - to inspire and help others to see beyond their limitations.”
Kat Sizer, who took part in the mission, praised Mrs de Lagarde on Instagram where she wrote “[Sarah] was resilient and so determined to overcome the huge mountain in front of us that there was no time to question or doubt getting to the summit.
“One step at a time, one sip of ginger tea at a time and one breath at a time. Sarah inspired the team to push and push until we made it to an emotional and exhausting finish at the Uhuru summit.”
The team’s trek has raised more than £10,000 for charity STAND, which supports amputees in conflict zones and developing countries.
Mrs de Lagarde and her husband first climbed Kilimanjaro just a month before her life-altering accident - and she credits the experience with helping rally her as she lay on the Tube tracks fighting to stay alive.
“It was hard - we spent eight days on a mountain sleeping in a tent. There are no showers,” she previously told Irish news outlet RTE.
“But it was the most amazing experience, to be so close to nature, to feel how we are a little part of a big, big universe.
“That was exactly a month before [the accident]. You stand on top of the world, and then a month later you find yourself hitting rock bottom, literally going from one extreme to the other.
“And while I was lying on the tracks in that moment where I got angry. I said ‘I am not dying here - I just climbed Kilimanjaro. This is not happening’.”“We’re not just climbing a mountain,” she said previously. “We’re hoping to lift the spirits and change the lives of those who have lost so much.
“This climb symbolises our family’s journey, our struggles, and our triumphs. But more importantly, it’s a call to action for anyone who believes in the power of community, compassion, and change.”
Since her ordeal, Mrs de Lagarde has become a motivational speaker and an advocate for mental health, safety on public transportation, and the development of responsible AI.
To find out more and donate, visit www.sarahdelagarde.com.
