Photo/Illutration At 86, Yuichiro Miura, left, poses with Gota, his second son, at a base camp in Aconcagua, Argentina, on Jan. 15, 2019. (Motoki Kaneko)

Yuichiro Miura, an adventure skier who has reached the peak of Mount Everest three times as a senior citizen, refuses to retire from the slopes even after his 90th birthday and a debilitating condition.

Miura is currently undergoing a rehabilitation program for paralyzed limbs.

“I am now a ‘beginner’ living with disabilities, but I still want to think about what I can do in the years ahead rather than what I cannot do,” he said at a discussion session in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward in late October.

“I hope to continue taking step after step and to climb Mount Fuji if possible.”

He said that if he can conquer Mount Fuji in the summer, he will take another shot at South America’s tallest mountain.

A LIFE WITH ALTITUDE

Born in Aomori in October 1932, Miura has always been attracted to winter sports, particularly skiing. But it was only later in his adulthood when he started making international headlines.

He skied down Mount Everest’s South Col, which rises 8,000 meters above sea level, at age 37.

Miura was 53 when he completed his quest of skiing down the highest peaks of all seven continents.

His career as a mountain climber, meanwhile, blossomed in his 70s and beyond.

He climbed the 8,848-meter summit of Mount Everest when he was 70, 75 and 80.

When he was 86, he embarked on an expedition to Aconcagua mountain in Argentina, South America’s highest peak. The challenge drew much attention, but Miura’s doctor called it off long before Miura could reach the 6,961-meter summit.

As the world was battling the novel coronavirus pandemic, Miura faced a different struggle.

He developed symptoms of a spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma in June 2020 after a blood clot formed outside his dura mater. He underwent emergency surgery and was hospitalized for several months.

His long exposure to harsh conditions while skiing and mountaineering is believed to have made him more susceptible to the condition, which paralyzed his limbs.

But his recovery has startled his doctor.

Miura’s second son, Gota, 53, a former Olympic mogul skier who had accompanied his father on his three Mount Everest expeditions, is helping with the rehabilitation program.

In June 2021, Miura took part in the torch relay for the Tokyo Olympic Games at Mount Fuji’s Fifth Station.

He resumed skiing the following winter.

On Dec. 16 last year, he exhibited steady turns during his first ski run of the season at a resort on Mount Teineyama in Sapporo, where he lives.

He currently can walk for only several hundred meters at a time. His muscles have also weakened.

But Miura said he wants a shot at Mount Fuji, “for starters” next summer.

RETRY AT ACONCAGUA

In October, ahead of his 90th birthday, Miura ascended Mount Teineyama, partly in a Hippocampe all-terrain wheelchair. He walked the remaining parts on his own.

He plans to use the Hippocampe and his own legs for the Mount Fuji challenge, with the help of Gota and other supporters.

Japan’s highest peak is a springboard for a loftier target he missed in 2019: Aconcagua.

“I want to have another try at it,” Miura said. “I am dreaming of that, although I have no idea if I will be able to do so.”

The concept of “giving up” is not in Miura’s dictionary nor in his blood. His father, Keizo (1904-2006), skied down the European Alps at the age of 99.

“He serves as a good landmark,” Miura said.

When asked how he feels at 90, he said, “I thought I would be more decrepit, but I have found myself quite healthy except for my paralyzed limbs.”

Miura has been skiing as part of his rehab.

“It gives you perfect training if your goal is Mount Fuji,” he said. “I want to ski every day if I can.”

Miura also expounded on what he believes is the most important thing.

“It’s about never letting go of my dreams, and about continuing to make efforts for that goal,” he said. “It’s probably about continuing to ascend, in high spirits, this mountain called life while believing that my dreams will come true one day.”