TL;DR
- Spencer West climbed Mount Kilimanjaro on his hands.
- He challenges societal expectations of queer and disabled individuals.
- His autobiography, ‘Breaking Free,’ releases on May 12.
- West advocates for accessibility in LGBTQ spaces.
- His journey raises funds for sustainable water in East Africa.
Meet Spencer West, the unstoppable LGBTQ+ activist who took on Mount Kilimanjaro in a way that would make anyone’s jaw drop. Born with sacral agenesis, a condition that left him without legs, West didn’t let that stop him from conquering Africa’s tallest mountain—on his hands, no less! Talk about flipping the script on what’s possible.
From the moment he entered this world, West was determined to defy the odds. After undergoing amputation at the tender age of five, he quickly realized that prosthetics were not his style. Instead, he embraced his unique way of moving—doing handstands and climbing on his hands. “It’s easier to be yourself than to do what others think you should,” he says, and honey, he’s living proof.
In his upcoming autobiography, Breaking Free: Stop Following Expectations and Start Following Yourself, West shares the rollercoaster of his life, from childhood bullying to becoming a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ and disabled individuals alike. With over four million followers across social media platforms, he’s a force to be reckoned with, and he’s not afraid to call out the lack of accessibility in queer spaces. “More often than not, queer spaces are not accessible,” he laments, highlighting the need for inclusivity.
West’s journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro in 2012 was not just a personal triumph but also a mission to raise over $750,000 for sustainable water initiatives in East Africa. He trained rigorously, initially planning to tackle the mountain half in his wheelchair and half on his hands. But as it turned out, he ended up using his hands for a whopping 80% of the climb. Talk about determination!
“We didn’t know what the climb was going to be like, so we wanted to take care of everything and give us our best chance to get to the top,” he recalls. And get to the top he did, proving that with the right mindset and support, anything is possible.
West’s story is not just about climbing mountains—literal or metaphorical. It’s about breaking free from societal expectations that often box us in. He’s here to remind us that following our hearts is the key to living our best lives. “Every time that I did something that felt right to me, it worked,” he shares, and that’s a lesson we could all stand to learn.
So mark your calendars for May 12, when Breaking Free hits the shelves. Whether you’re queer, disabled, or just someone who’s ever felt the weight of the world’s expectations, this book is a must-read. Spencer West is not just climbing mountains; he’s changing the world one expectation at a time.