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Arunima Sinha Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth20 July 1988

Age35 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplacePanda Tola, Shahjadpur, Akbarpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh

ProfessionMountaineer, Volleyball Player

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseGaurav Singh

FamilyParents and siblings (names not specified)

Arunima Sinha Biography

Arunima Sinha is an Indian mountaineer and former volleyball player who became the world’s first female amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest. After

Early life and background
Arunima Sinha was born Sonu Sinha on 20 July 1988 in Panda Tola, Shahjadpur, Akbarpur in the Ambedkar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Raised in a lower-middle-class Kayastha family, she grew up in Akbarpur and attended Government Girls Inter College there. From an early age she was active in sports and later trained as a mountaineer at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi.

Arunima pursued higher studies and holds an MA in Sociology and an LLB. She also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Strathclyde. Outside of her athletic pursuits, she enjoys sketching, gardening, yoga, travel and music.

Career
Before becoming known for her mountaineering achievements, Arunima was involved in competitive volleyball and has been described as a national level volleyball player. Her life changed after a serious train incident in April 2011 in which she sustained severe leg and pelvic injuries. Treated at AIIMS, she underwent amputation of one leg. During her recovery she resolved to take on a major challenge and decided to pursue mountaineering.

She completed a basic course in mountaineering at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and trained under Bachendri Pal at the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation camp in Uttarkashi. As part of her Everest preparation she climbed Island Peak (6,150 metres), reaching that summit on 11 April 2013.

Arunima began her Everest expedition in late March 2013. On 21 May 2013 she reached the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first female amputee to do so. The climb took 52 days; at the summit she left a written tribute. Following Everest, she set a personal goal to complete the highest peaks on each continent.

By 2014 she had climbed peaks including Mount Elbrus in Europe and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. On 4 January 2019 she reached the summit of Mount Vinson in Antarctica, completing the seventh continental peak and becoming the first female amputee to climb Mount Vinson.

Public profile
Arunima’s Everest ascent drew significant attention and recognition. She received awards and honors such as the Padma Shri in 2015, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2016, the Yash Bharti Award from the Uttar Pradesh government, the Aspire Young Achiever Award (2012) and Salaam India Gallantry Award (2013). Limca World Records has recognized her achievements, and her story has been covered in national and international media including People magazine.

After Everest she was honored by the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh with financial awards. She has written a book titled Born Again on the Mountain, which was launched in December 2014. Arunima also established the Arunima Foundation, through which she works on empowering women and people with disabilities and supporting health and socio-economic initiatives for poorer communities.

Personal life
Arunima is married; her second marriage was to Paralympian Gaurav Singh on 21 June 2018. She follows Hinduism and is a non-vegetarian. Her physical stats are listed as approximately 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) in height and around 60 kg in weight, with black hair and black eyes. Her hometown remains Akbarpur in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.

Controversies and public incidents
The 2011 train incident generated investigation and public debate; a police inquiry questioned the nature of the event, while a legal decision later led Indian Railways to pay compensation. Questions were also raised at times about the designation of her volleyball career at the national level. In December 2017 she reported an unpleasant experience at a temple in Ujjain related to dress and accessibility concerns, which she publicly remarked on.

Latest updates
Arunima completed the Seven Summits challenge by summiting Mount Vinson in Antarctica on 4 January 2019, marking the completion of her goal to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. Her book Born Again on the Mountain and the foundation bearing her name remain active parts of her public work.
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Recent Work

Born Again on the Mountain

Memoir launched in December 2014; chronicles her recovery and mountaineering achievements

2014
Mount Vinson summit

Reached the summit of Mount Vinson in Antarctica, completing the seven continental peaks and becoming the first female amputee to do so

2019
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Career Highlights

  1. World’s first female amputee to climb Mount Everest (21 May 2013)
  2. Completed the Seven Summits with Mount Vinson (4 January 2019)
  3. Recipient of Padma Shri (2015)
  4. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award (2016)
  5. Author of Born Again on the Mountain
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Arunima Sinha born?

20 July 1988

What is Arunima Sinha known for?

Mountaineer, Volleyball Player

What is Arunima Sinha’s marital status?

Married

Who is Arunima Sinha married to?

Gaurav Singh