Dilip Sapkota of Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality–5, Sindhupalchok and Shishir Dahal of Kamalamai–5, Sindhuli, completed a wheelchair bungee jump from the suspension bridge over the Bhotekoshi River in Sindhupalchok.
They claim this bungee jump, said to be the first of its kind in Nepal, is historic. Sapkota asserts that he is the first person in Nepal’s history to do a bungee jump in a wheelchair.
Among the two, Sapkota jumped first from the 160-meter-high suspension bridge, and Dahal successfully followed soon after.
“It was a historic leap, for the first time in Nepal, I did a bungee jump from a wheelchair,” Sapkota says with excitement. “These activities are not just displays of personal courage. I want accessible tourism to grow in Nepal, and I want people with disabilities to participate equally in hiking, trekking, and adventure activities. That’s why I keep taking part in new and challenging adventures, hoping my experience will inspire confidence, motivation, and courage in others with disabilities.”
Dahal shares a similar experience. He told Onlinekhabar that the bungee jump was an enjoyable and memorable experience.
“I wanted to experience it for myself. But I also wanted my attempt to inspire others, which is why I jumped along with my wheelchair,” Dahal says. “The bridge shook slightly, but the moment above the river, being the first to bungee in a wheelchair was unforgettable.”
Shishir added, “I had done such adventure activities before, but this time I wanted to inspire others with disabilities and hopefully shift society’s perception of people with disabilities, which is why I did the bungee in a wheelchair.”
After suffering a spinal injury that left him bedridden and unable to move for a long time, Sapkota now travels on a disability-friendly scooter and wheelchair, becoming a strong voice for thousands of people with disabilities.
Sapkota has been participating in paragliding, zipline, swing, and other adventure activities for a long time.
He is not only an adventure enthusiast but also a committed advocate for inclusive tourism. Despite his disability, he serves as the secretary of the Jugal Tourism Promotion and Environment Conservation Forum Nepal, continuously lobbying for accessible tourism. He believes that making trails, routes, and services in Nepal’s tourism sector accessible for people with disabilities must now be a mandatory agenda.
Dahal, who joined Sapkota in the bungee jump, has been living with spinal paralysis due to a motorcycle accident.
He has been using a wheelchair for four years. Dahal runs an agricultural nursery in Bhaktapur. Alongside the nursery, he also works as a graphic designer and social media manager, and holds leadership roles in various sports and entertainment-related organizations.
