Page 174 - New Grammar with a Smile 8

2 Born Again

Read the passage carefully.

At 10:55 a.m. on 21 May 2013, Arunima Sinha,
aged 26, became India’s first woman with a
prosthetic (artificial) leg to conquer Mount
Everest. Life took a total turnaround for
Arunima, a former national volleyball champion,
after she was pushed off the moving Padmavat
Express for resisting a chain-snatching attempt
by hoodlums. Arunima, who is also known
by her nickname Sonu, boarded the general
compartment of the Padmavat Express at
Lucknow on 13 April 2011. She was going to
Noida in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, to appear for an examination being
conducted by the Central Industrial Security Force.

She was pushed off the moving train by some thieves when she resisted their attempt
to snatch her gold chain. Arunima sustained serious leg and pelvic injuries after
being run over by a moving train on the adjacent track. To save her life, doctors had
to amputate her left leg below the knee. The incident occurred about 15 km from
the Bareilly railway station. Arunima was initially admitted to the Bareilly District
Hospital from where she was shifted to a larger hospital in Lucknow. Arunima,
a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, was later airlifted to Delhi’s Jai
Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, an arm of the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS). The decision to shift her was taken after infection set in on her
amputated leg. She finally recovered and was determined to climb to the top of
Mount Everest. Arunima completed her expedition from Kathmandu to the top of the
peak in 52 days. ‘When I was in the hospital, everyone was worried about me, and I
realised that I had to do something in my life so that people would stop looking at me
with pity. I spoke to my elder brother and my coach about climbing Everest, and they
encouraged me,’ she said. For her successful climb, Arunima trained under Bachendri
Pal, the first Indian woman to conquer Mount Everest. Congratulating Arunima on
her achievement, Ms Pal said, ‘It’s a moment of pride for the whole nation. The spirit,
mental strength and willpower of Arunima have been exemplary. She has defied all
odds and will be an inspiration for millions throughout the world.’ Thrilled at his

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