By: Becky Striepe | Click here for the Original article on Care2
You’ve probably heard by now that a vegan hiker died while trying to climb Mt. Everest. What you maybe haven’t heard about is the vegan hiker who successfully reached the summit two days before. Mountain climber and long-time vegan Kuntal Joisher successfully reached the peak of Mt. Everest on May 19, 2016.
One of the trickiest parts of going vegan for me wasn’t giving up cheese (you don’t have to), getting enough protein, or finding food to order at restaurants. It was that suddenly any time I had a health issue, people assumed my vegan diet was to blame. Whether it’s a cold or something more serious, I always hear from at least one person that it’s because I’m vegan. The way the media has covered stories of these two Mt. Everest climbers is right in line with that warped thinking about veganism and health.
Climber Dr. Maria Strydom died of altitude sickness while climbing Mt. Everest on May 21, 2016. Mainstream news stories about her death heavily hint that veganism was at least partly to blame. This is sad and insulting. There’s a reason that climbing Mt. Everest is a feat. It’s a dangerous journey, and many hikers don’t make it, vegan or otherwise. Last year, 22 people died trying to reach the summit, and no one blamed their diets for their tragic deaths.
Two days before Strydom’s death—on May 19, 2016—Kuntal Joisher reached the top of Mt. Everest.
An experienced mountain climber and long-time vegan, he was shocked and angered by how the media handled Strydom’s death.
On his Instagram feed, Joisher said, “I’m back in Kathmandu and safe and with all body parts intact! Since the time I got back the news of the death of a Vegan climber, Dr. Maria Strydom, has gone viral. And the reasoning in the article was that because Maria was a Vegan, she died. Additionally a lot of derogatory comments have been made towards the dead climber, and the tone of article and comments all feel as if the intention is to shame Vegans. First of all let me tell everyone that the climber died because of altitude sickness. Altitude sickness doesn’t discriminate based on dietary choices. Anyone, even the strongest of the mountaineers and Sherpas can get it. Eating meat or not has no bearing!”
Joisher’s achievement shows that you don’t need to eat animal products to reach the summit, and his comments are spot on. Dr. Strydom’s death was a tragedy, and the way it’s being covered is incredibly disrespectful to her and her family.
If you want a real picture of what healthy vegans can do, Kuntal Joisher’s Instagram feedis a great place to start. His photos of his hikes and climbs are breathtaking examples of what vegan bodies can do.
