| Japanese skier Miura reaches summit of Mt. Everest at age 75 |
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| Tuesday, 27 May 2008 | |
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Japanese skier Yuichiro Miura, made it to the summit of Mount Everest on Monday morning, achieving the feat at the age of 75, overcoming two earlier heart operations. Miura reached the summit at 7:33 a.m. on Monday (10:48 a.m. Japanese time). It was the first time in five years for Miura to reach the top of Mount Everest, and his second ascent since he turned 70. "The conditions are severe enough to bring tears to your eyes and it's tough but I'm happy. And to top it off, the weather was perfect," the 75-year-old said. Miura had been aiming to become the world's oldest person to climb the 8,848-meter-high peak, but a 76-year-old Nepalese climber, Min Bahadur Sherchan, made it to the summit on Sunday to claim the title. Still, Miura is following his dreams, saying he wants to "challenge the limit of humans." Miura has had an irregular pulse since childhood, and his heart condition, atrial fibrillation, became chronic as he aged. In 2003, he made it to the summit of Mount Everest at the age of 70 years and 7 months. He later underwent two heart operations, in December 2006 and June 2007. A doctor accompanied him on the climb and took care of his health, monitoring his heart with electrocardiograms. Miura underwent hard training to prepare for his climb, visiting the Himalayas four times since 2005. He set up a training room in Tokyo with oxygen levels similar to that experienced at an altitude of about 6,500 meters to simulate the harsh conditions on the mountain, and when he went outside, he would strap 4-5 kilogram weights to each of his legs and shoulder a backpack weighing about 20 kilograms. He reportedly has the physical strength of someone in their 40s or 50s. "He does bold things, but he's got where he is now one step at a time," said Miura's 38-year-old son Gota Miura, who joined Miura for the climb. During his climbs, Yuichiro Miura carries a photograph of his late father Keizo Miura, who died at the age of 101. At the age of 99, Keizo Miura skied down France's Mont Blanc mountain range. "People can't avoid aging but if they train they can take on various challenges. I'm curious about myself," Yuichiro Miura said. Copyright 2005-2006 THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. All rights reserved. Mainichi features the best news in Japan, current news in Japan, Japan news in English, Japan business news, Tokyo Japan news, and Japan entertainment news. Mainichi News is syndicated in accordance with editorial regulations: personal and noncommercial purposes.
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Copyright 2005-2006 THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. All rights reserved. Mainichi features the best news in Japan, current news in Japan, Japan news in English, Japan business news, Tokyo Japan news, and Japan entertainment news. Mainichi News is syndicated in accordance with editorial regulations: personal and noncommercial purposes.