Sarah de Lagarde became the first female double prosthetic-wearing amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – and she didn’t do it alone

Sarah neer thought a mere month after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro that her whole life would be turned upside down.

“I stood up there on that enormous crater almost 6,000 meters of altitude, the highest free-standing mountain in the world. The sun was rising on the horizon and the duvet of clouds had this otherworldly pink glow – it feels like you’re on another planet.

“I felt so powerful and strong, and I was so confident,” Sarah says. “I felt invincible, like nothing bad could ever happen to me. Little did I know that just a month later, I would lose my arm and leg.”

On her way home from work as the Global Head of Communications for Janus Henderson Investors, Sarah slipped and fell onto the London Underground tracks and got run over by two trains.

“That night I should have died 10 times over. That’s what the doctors told me. I am so lucky that I survived,” she says.

But Sarah has not only survived. She’s overcome unfathomable obstacles, like learning to walk again, and with the support of community, has thrived.

Strength in community

The road to recovery after losing her right arm and left leg has been long and hard. She spent three weeks in the trauma unit, followed by six weeks in rehabilitation. She was desperate to get back home to her husband Jeremy and two daughters, Chloe and Daphne, and continue her recovery through outpatient services.

“I was very conscious of how I needed to rebuild my body and that I needed to remain stable mentally to do so,” she says. “I wanted to get out of hospital as soon as possible to be reunited with my children and my husband.”

She knew that surrounding herself with people who were fighting with her would make the journey a little bit easier.

“It’s really hard to remain positive on your own. If you feel supported by people who value you and your contributions, then that gives you that extra spirit to fight,” Sarah says.

Just days after the incident, coworkers and senior leaders from Janus Henderson visited her. She received FaceTime calls from colleagues in Tokyo and Sydney at her bedside.

“I had just come out of the hospital when I was invited to the company Christmas party. I could barely walk so my husband had to accompany me. Our CFO gave a speech about the year, our strategic vision and thanked everyone. Then he closed by introducing me as a special guest, and there was a standing ovation. It was unforgettable. I was so unbelievably grateful.”

She says the most important thing companies can do is create a safe space for people with disabilities. Sarah felt Janus Henderson was there for her throughout her entire harrowing journey – and the support continues to this day.

“People asked me why I was able to come back to work just four months after the incident. And it’s because I felt like it was a safe environment to go back to,” she says. “I knew I was coming back to this great place where people were supportive and accepting.”

Reaching the summit

Because the incident happened so shortly after Sarah climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, people who visited her in the hospital would use her accomplishment to inspire encouraging words. They would say things like, “You just climbed Kilimanjaro; you can get through this. You’re brave. If we know you, you’ll be back climbing it again one day.”

At the moment, she couldn’t even fathom it. It was impossible to even get up to go to the bathroom by herself.

But, as time passed and she got stronger, she started wondering if she could make it a reality. After a conversation with her husband who vowed to help her get to the summit, she set out on 18 months of extensive training.

She was going to be the first female double prosthetic-wearing amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. And she wasn’t doing it alone.

This time around, it was much sweeter because of the community she assembled around her. Her husband, two daughters (age 10 and 13), two medical professionals who were by her side during recovery and the same crew she had when she climbed two years prior were going to climb with her.

“The crew had heard about my incident because it was on the news even in Tanzania, so they knew the story and wanted to help me get to the top again.”

She needed sponsorship to finance the expedition for which Janus Henderson was incredibly generous. There was a lot of research about which prosthetics would be best and the gear she needed to accommodate her new circumstances.

(An aside: At one point during the trek, Sarah was proudly wearing her Janus Henderson gear and an American stopped to comment that he knew the company. He said he lived in Denver and had been investing in the fund for 40 years, adding that he is quite happy with his returns. “I couldn’t believe it. There was something so good about this,” she says.

Sarah reached the summit on August 14, 2024.

“I needed to do it to find closure, I suppose. And also to reassure my family, my kids, that with the right help, nothing’s impossible.”

While Sarah recognizes this climb was organized because of her, she was focused on others. The climb raised money for a charity that recycles prosthetics from the UK and distributes them to developing countries or zones of conflict.

“I think it’s our duty as members of society to protect others. I realized that I was lucky enough to have access to medical care. I visited a prosthetic center in Tanzania and the contrast is quite stark. You feel that equity of access doesn't really exist yet.”

Her next feat

Sarah’s next undertaking is even harder than what she’s already gone through.

“The one thing that still really rattles me is that Transport for London, which is the company that operates the London Underground, has denied all liability,” she says. “If they’re not accepting liability, they don’t think anything was wrong, which also means they’re not changing anything. And there are two million commuters a day on the London Underground and 16 incidents as severe as mine every month.”

Sarah is determined to see solutions implemented. She advocates for closing platform gaps and using AI-powered algorithms to detect irregularities on platforms and tracks, and noise and movement sensors that can mitigate the risk of tragedies.

“I need to find a way to get my voice heard and to involve politicians to ensure there aren’t more victims,” Sarah says. “I really would love if the sacrifice of my limbs was not in vain and that I could somehow be reassured that I’ve done all I could to protect my children and two million commuters from something awful happening to them.”

But Sarah’s mission doesn’t stop there. Next, she aims to work on healthcare equity. This incident has been life-changing, and she’s determined for it to be a catalyst for progress.

“One of the lessons that I try to share with my children is to say life is very uncertain. There will be ups and downs. You can't insulate yourself from incidents or diseases. There will be a point in your life that something challenging will happen, either to you or to somebody close to you, and it's going to be hard.

“To overcome that adversity, if you share your struggles, people will listen,” Sarah says. “They will identify with you because they're probably going through something that is really challenging for them as well.”

A storyteller by trade, Sarah is going to keep telling her story – with the hope it inspires community, connection and societal betterment.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

This piece was featured in Aspire Magazine, a biannual publication from the Women Financial Advisors Network. View the latest.

Follow along on social media with #RJWomen

---

Follow along on social media with #RJWomen.