French multiple sclerosis sufferer Marc Kopp talks during an interview with AFP in Kathmandu on October 22.
A French man with multiple sclerosis skydived over Mount Everest Sunday, marking a milestone as the first disabled person to do so.
Marc Kopp, 55, successfully landed the 32,800-foot, tandem dive with his friend, champion skydiver Mario Gervasi, and was taken to a Kathmandu hospital by helicopter afterward as a safety precaution, Agence France-Presse reports.
“I hope my action will inspire others living with this illness. I hope many more will follow in my footsteps,” Kopp said.
The record jump required Kopp to travel by horse for several hours to reach the airstrip for the helicopter, forcing the MS-stricken diver to ditch his wheelchair. Kopp said the preparation was very “painful,” but he’s happy after the successful jump.
[AFP]