Posted: Jul 28, 2008 02:43 pm EST
(ExplorersWeb.com) With shattered tools, K2 climbers are headed up the Cesen and Abruzzi ridges on the mountaineers' mountain. Meanwhile, Danijela Jovanovic is on her own, magnificent summit push. Her broken gear not torn by storms or faded by the sun - but left-over cards she was dealt at birth.

"Don't play to impress, play to win," said Michael Gersitz about the game of poker. For although it didn't seem like it; Danijela too had a choice.

Elbrus

After spending most her life in an institution, Danijela has conquered the mountains of Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria - in winter. With an IQ level of only 80, Danijela became the only woman without hands and feet to pass the mental and physical training set up by Extreme Sport Club "Pozitiv" and Federation for Sport and Recreation for People With Disabilities of Belgrade.

Yesterday, she left for Mount Elbrus. If all goes well, Danijela will head to Aconcagua in January next year.

Xia: "a sign of civilization and development"

“I think that disabled people being able to climb mountains is a sign of civilization and development," Chinese climber Xia Boyu told ExWeb in August last year. "Not just for the individuals, or the humanity as a whole - but also for the country the disabled represent."

The Chinese 1975 Everest triumph cost Xia both his legs when he, in an unselfish act, gave up his sleeping bag to one of the summiteers in high camp. In this Olympic year of 2008, Xia hoped to find a sponsor to help him summit Everest for himself, and set a milestone in the country’s interest for disabled climbers.

"It [disabled people being able to climb mountains] proves that society shows loving concern, support and understanding. Such support encourages the disabled climber in his effort, raising his self-respect and self-confidence," Xia said.

Slobodan Stokic, president of KES Pozitiv in Serbia couldn't agree more. "We think that involving people with disabilities will benefit all, and significantly the West Balkans in getting their equal rights in sport and life in general," he told ExWeb last week.

The bottom scrap

It wasn't always so. Danijela Jovanovic was born August 13, 1968, without hands, feet and a mental disorder in Serbia; a country torn by wars, communism and bloody conflicts since WW2. In 1989, Slobodan Miloševic became President and in the 1990s, the Yugoslav wars broke out. Resources were slim and life was especially grim for the weak.

Danijela's parents left her in a hospital right at birth, and she spent most of her time isolated in different institutions until the age of 3, when she was put in a private home. Life was not easy in such families either though, and Danijela was left to fend for herself until 8 years old when social services put her back into a social institution for children with mental disorders where she remained until she was 35.

Through all the hardship, Danijela never lost her will and motivation to reach for her share of the sweet life. All she needed was a chance, and if she wasn't offered one - she would grab it.

Out of the institution - into thin air

In 2000, Danijela Jovanovic took up swimming and running and two years later, she placed 15th of over 300 participants in the Argentina Marder Plata competitions for the disabled. She went on to half marathons, basket and table tennis where she showed very good results.

In 2003, SAPI kicked off and Danijela was removed from her institution at last. Meanwhile, Slobodan Stokic started mountaineering for the disabled and in 2006, Danijela joined the project.

She camped out with a bunch of others on Mount Rajac in Serbia the following spring in 2007, where it would be decided if she was strong enough for high altitude climbing. Danijela was one of only three to pass.

A video showing Danijela putting on her climbing shoes explains the success; she performs the simple task with the precision of a heart surgeon and the determinaton of an Olympic athlete.

Everest

Now came climbing practice in the mountains of Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria in preps for Elbrus. If all goes well, nearing 40 years of age Danijela - born without hands, feet and smarts in a warn-torn land - will become an international mountain climber.

If she succeeds on Elbrus in the Caucasus, the Extreme Sport Club “Pozitiv” will organize her climbs on Mt. Damavand in Iran and Ararat in Turkey, as altitude training for Aconcagua in the Andes.

Next up is Cho Oyu, Shishapangma perhaps - and you already guessed the ultimate goal: the summit of Everest, and Danijela Jovanovic the first disabled woman to climb all the way to the top of the world.

Story updated 02:43 pm CDT Aug 14, 2008: Danijela successfully climbed the summit of Mount Elbrus on August 09, 2008, becoming the first woman ever to reach the highest top of Europe.

History of the Everest underdogs

May 25, 2001 history was made when blind climber Erik Weihenmayer stood on the top of Mount Everest. The team was led by Pasquale Scaturro and included a number of all star Everest climbers (Eric Alexander, Sherman Bull and his son Brad, Luis Benitez, Mike Brown, Jeff Evans, Steve Gipe, Didrik Johnck, Charlie Mace, Chris Morris, Mike O'Donnell.) Mike Brown of Serac Adventure Films carried the first High definition cam to the summit and later produced the ‘Farther than the Eye Can See’ film about the expedition. Brown has since led and documented other disabled climbers, such as heart-transplant survivor Kelly Perkins, on various climbs around the world.

In 2003, Texan Gary Guller became the first person with one arm to summit Everest as part of his Team Everest '03 expedition. He led the largest cross-disability group to ever reach base camp, and everyone of the members made it. He then carried their message to the highest point on earth.

A motorcycle wreck in summer 2000 left Nawang Sherpa, an aspiring high-altitude guide in Nepal, a trans-tibial amputee. He got a new "climbing leg" in 2002 thanks to the High Exposure foundation, a non-profit launched by Ed Hommer, who lost his own legs on Denali and hoped to scale Everest one day together with Nawang. Ed's own Everest dream however ended in tragedy a few months later when a rock struck and killed him on Mount Rainier Sep 23, 2003.

In 2004 Tom McMillan, a California climber, stepped in to make Nawang's dream to scale Mount Everest a reality. On May 16 2004, the Friendship Beyond Borders expedition accomplished its goal when Nawang Sherpa reached the summit of Mt. Everest. Nawang was the first trans-tibial amputee to ever climb an 8000 meter peak. Nawang Sherpa was awarded with a special mention at ExplorersWeb’s Awards for the best climbs of the year 2004.

Two years after summiting Everest, Nawang Sherpa had to abort an attempt on Cho Oyu. The Friendship without Borders expedition reported serious problems with their Chinese cooks as well as their supplies. The local trekking company they had hired came with cheap, broken tents, and “dangerous, maniac-like cooks” - the Sherpas were threatened with knives when they tried to enter the kitchen and prepare their own meals.

May 15, 2006 New Zealander Mark Inglis reached the summit of Mt Everest, 23 years after the mountain rescuer got stuck high on Mount Cook and both his legs had to be amputated due to frostbite. Mark's Everest summit was somewhat shadowed by the death of a climber from another outfit, who perished while Mark and his team mates from the Himex expedition climbed past him to the top.

Also in 2006, on Everest north side, disabled climber Pepe Blanco was forced to call off his attempt due to problems with his feet. Pepe reached the North Col feeling strong and motivated, but had to turn back at 7100m. The special boots he used were not adequate for the climb on Everest. Pepe was 65% physically disabled after a paragliding accident.

Finally on Everest in 2006, sight-impaired Thomas Weber climbed on the north side guided by Dutch mountaineer and Calif resident Harry Kikstra. Thomas had a rare eye disease: His vision deteriorated at altitude after the removal of a brain tumor. The guide was criticized by fellow climbers after Thomas died on the peak following extended signs of AMS.

At the age of 12, Norwegian climber Cato Pedersen lost his left and half the right arm in a high voltage accident in 1973. After summiting Cho Oyu in 2005, Pedersen aborted his 2007 Everest north side climb due to waiting lines on the second step. Cato was the first person without arms on the peak and in 1994 he also reached the South Pole with a 240-lb sled after skiing for 56 days over 960 miles after leaving the Weddel Sea.

Devoted to sports, Cato won 11 gold medals in the Olympics for the disabled in 1980, 1984 and 1988.

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