Deafblind student tackles peaks in Everest quest

Karolina Pakenaite was diagnosed with Usher syndrome at the age of 19

A student has completed the Three Peaks Challenge with just three minutes left on the clock as part of her quest to become the first deafblind person to climb Mount Everest.

Karolina Pakenaite, who is losing her sight and hearing, managed to scale the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in just under 24 hours.

The 28-year-old said she ran the last 40 minutes with her guide, despite falling many times.

Since the age of 19, Ms Pakenaite has had a rare condition known as Usher syndrome, which means her vision and hearing fades over time.

Ms Pakenaite has been assisted by her gym coach Arron (right), guide Buddhi (centre) and her friend Antonia (left)

The diagnosis has spurred the PhD student, from Merseyside, to make as many visual memories as possible before she loses both senses completely.

She aims to become the first deafblind person to climb Mount Everest in April 2026.

The Three Peaks requires those who take the challenge to summit Scafell Pike in the Lake District, Ben Nevis in the Grampians and Yr Wyddfa in Eryri, also known as Snowdon in Snowdonia.

Ms Pakenaite attempted the challenge as one of her Everest warm-ups, having already ticked off the London Marathon in April.

The computer science postgraduate, who studies at the University of Bath, uses sighted guides or her guide dog Bosley to help her navigate.

"I will have to climb both day and night on Everest, so completing the 24-hour challenge was not just about testing my endurance but also about understanding the type of support I will need and how it might change at different times of the day," she said.

The group posed for a quick picture before Ms Pakenaite completed the challenge

Her support team includes Nepalese sighted guides Sammar Gurung and Buddhi Gurung, her coach Arron Collins-Thomas and four of his gym members.

During the Three Peak challenge, they fell behind schedule on Scafell Pike, which delayed efforts to summit Yr Wyddfa.

With a few minutes to spare, she said they "quickly snapped a team photo at the summit without pausing to appreciate the views" before running down to complete the challenge in the 24-hour timeframe.

"I got a bit stubborn and decided to run solo for the last 40 minutes, sticking close and shadowing our Snowdon guide with my tunnel vision," she said.

"But I did fall many times in those 40 minutes, so going solo wasn’t the brightest idea.

"Looking back, though, I’m touched by how patient everyone was with me."

Ms Pakenaite, who completed the challenge in 23 hours, 56 minutes and 47 seconds, said she felt "fit and strong" and had recovered quickly.

"The adrenaline rush was incredible and felt so freeing and empowering," she said.

"I completely fell in love with trail running, something I never thought possible with my sight condition."

She will now prepare to attempt the Denali summit in North America and Nepal’s Mount Manaslu in 2025 before travelling to Everest.