Man without legs climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro Pictures Spencer West wasn't going to let a genetic disease that robbed him of his legs stop him from achieving his goals. West, of Toronto, Canada, was born with sacral agenesis, a rare condition in which the lower spine and pelvis don't form properly at the time of birth. Doctors amputated his legs at age 5. He wrote in a blog post that when doctors told his parents in 1981 that their son would never sit up, walk or be a functioning member of society, his family refused to accept it, and set out to redefine what was possible. West's latest challenge? To climb 19,000-foot Mount Kilimanjaro - the highest peak in Africa - to raise $750,000 to bring sustainable water programming to drought-ridden regions of East Africa. Flanked by a team that includes his two best friends David Johson and Alex Meers, the group set out on their journey. West reached the summit on June 19, 2012. Author: Edecio Martinez, Ryan Jaslow Credit: FreeTheChildren.com