Russian content creator and mountaineer Rustam Nabiev, who lost both legs, climbed the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, reaching an altitude of 8,849 meters using only his hands.
He shared a photo on Instagram holding a flag that read: ‘For those who thought life ends after a fall.”
Well-known Kazakh mountaineer Maxut Zhumayev was among those who congratulated Nabiev in the comments.
“Congratulations on the summit, brother! You’re the best motivator on the planet! Burn bright, shine on, brother — be the greatest example! I wish you happiness and prosperity! May you and your loved ones be in good health,” Zhumayev wrote.
Among the first to congratulate the mountaineer was Russian influencer Victoria Bonya, who recently caused a stir on social media with her address to Russian President Vladimir Putin. She herself climbed Everest in 2025.
Nabiev is 34 years old. He lost his legs in 2015 as a result of a ceiling collapse at a barracks in Omsk while serving in the army. He has dedicated his content and his life to proving that people with disabilities can and must live fulfilling lives and never give up, no matter what. Nabiev plans to establish a rehabilitation center for adults who became disabled later in life.
Rustam Nabiev is the world’s first and only person to climb mountains solely with his hands without outside help. Over five years, he climbed both peaks of Mount Elbrus (5,642 m and 5,621 m), Manaslu (8,163 m), Mount Ararat (5,165 m), Mount Kazbek (5,054 m), Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), Aconcagua (6,962 m), Peak of Love (2,124 m) and Iremel (1,589 m). Nabiev also plays sled hockey, won silver at the 2018 All-Russian Paralympic Games, and was set to compete at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics. He has also competed in bodybuilding.
Previously, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa simultaneously rewrote the story of Mount Everest ascents.
