Ain’t no mountain high enough for T. Ravichandran, who recently became the first Malaysian to conquer the world’s second highest mountain, K2 in Pakistan.
What’s even more impressive is that he accomplished the climb in spite of his disability, caused when he lost eight of his fingers while successfully climbing Mount Everest in 2007.
According to a report by Bernama, the 57-year-old completed the 8,611-meter climb of K2 at 10:50 am local time on Friday (July 22) with five other climbers while being accompanied by five sherpas.
A picture shared by Malaysia’s deputy youth and sports minister, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, showed Ravichandran holding up the Jalur Gemilang flag at the summit of the mountain.
In a Whatsapp message sent to the media, the Kuala Pilah native said being a disabled person was not a hindrance to him. If anything, he said, it showed that those with disabilities could be just as strong and capable as anybody else.
Ravichandran said he was fueled with love for his country during the climb and gifted the success to Malaysia in conjunction with its national day, which falls on August 31.
He said love for his country, living in peace and harmony were the keys to unity that instilled in him the strength he needed while facing difficulties throughout the climb.
“It is not impossible to rise again after falling. That’s the experience I gained from my climb on this expedition. This is my gift to the people of Malaysia. Merdeka!”
Ravichandran also thanked his wife for being his pillar of strength as well as friends and family, who kept him in their prayers.
