Colorado Springs woman climbs Manitou Incline…with no legs

Climbing up more than 2,700 steps at the Manitou Incline is hard enough for most people, but Mandy Horvath of Colorado Springs accomplished the feat without the use of her legs.

Horvath is a double amputee, but she rightfully calls herself a bionic woman.

In a video posted to Instagram, Horvath is seen making her way up the steps at the Incline, which is famous for its grueling ascent near the base of Pikes Peak. It’s a series of railroad ties that go up about 2,000 feet in less than a mile, and the trail provides a stunning view for those who reach the top.

But for Horvath, her effort Monday was on display as an inspiration. She planned the excursion as a way to support Limb Loss Awareness Month.

“To my knowledge, I am the first female double amputee to reach the top. I’m so thankful for my life and the ability to display that absolutely anything is possible,” Horvath wrote on Facebook. Her next goal with the climb is to claim an official Guinness World Record for being the first female double amputee to top the Manitou Incline. She’s hoping to raise the $10,000 needed to bring an adjudicator to Colorado to witness the record and put it in the books.

It took her about four hours to get to the summit, and she got back down via the Barr Trail (which is less of an incline, but more distance). She said she didn’t necessarily train for the Incline, but she said she decided to do it because “anyone can pull that will out of themselves.”

“One person’s struggle is their struggle, but at the same time, we all have them,” Horvath said. “Nothing is impossible, and there’s always hope.”

Horvath lost her legs when she was hit by a train in Steele City, Nebraska back in 2014. Horvath said she had a few drinks but blacked out and woke up in an ambulance with medical crews working on her legs. She says she believes she was given a date-rape drug; she has no memory of leaving the pub or going to the train tracks.

While she jokes about it now — her Tinder profile got attention for making light of the situation — Horvath is also working to return to her passions, including cooking. She says she wants to open a restaurant that is more accessible to handicapped people.

For now, Horvath is inspiring many people with her accomplishments, with hundreds of comments on social media showing support and saying, “If she can, anyone can.”