20-Year Japanese Spinal Cord Injury Patient Stands Atop Mt. Fuji

At 8:30 a.m. September 1 a 20-year college student Hiroto Sugihara, a spinal cord injury patient, made it to the top of Mount Fuji (3776m) with the help of a cane in his hand. He had stayed overnight at the 5th station, 3,300m above sea level, and left it early in the morning determined "to finished the rest of the way". 

"Oh my God, I've finally made it. This is super", he exclaimed.

It's a long story. Hiroto Sugihara was a rugger. He hurt his spine in the middle of a game and was told by his doctor he would end in a wheelchair. He would not accept the verdict. For four years Sugiwara underwent the most rigorous rehabilitation program there was. His efforts paid off and he stood atop the highest peak in Japan.

Now, behind his magnificent feat was a member of experts and well-wishers who collaborated efforts to help his dream come true. They started a project, Sugihara Project as it was called, to support his rehabilitation. 

A health project venture Protia Japan in Suginami, Tokyo joined the Sugiwara Project. Protia advocates active aging and sent Hiroto Sugihara to a training gym of Jay Workout Co. specializing in the training of spinal cord injury patients. 

Sugihara made a swift recovery and was soon able to walk with a cane. Sugihara told his supporters he wished so much to climb Mt. Fuji just to show others suffering from spinal cord injury "what one can do" - hence the attempt at Mt. Fuji.

Normally, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers, psychologists and health workers team up to care the spinal cord injury patient. In Sugihara's case, he was supported by less professional groups of people who responded to Sugihara's strong determination to symbolically climb Mt. Fuji of all peaks. In that sense, he climbed his own lofty mental hill as he did Mt. Fuji.