Four heart surgeries were just an annoyance to Yuichiro Miura, who, at

Four heart surgeries were just an annoyance to Yuichiro Miura, who, at the age of 80, has become the oldest person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.

His achievement has eclipsed the record set in 2008 by a 76-year-old man.

“I made it!” Miura said over the phone on Thursday in a call to his support team in Tokyo. “I never imagined I could make it to the top of Mount Everest at age 80. This is the world’s best feeling, although I’m totally exhausted. Even at 80, I can still do quite well.”

Miura’s trek to the top of the world’s highest mountain this week was actually a three-peat. He conquered Everest when he was 70, and again at 75.

Miura was accompanied this time by his 43-year-old son, two other Japanese and six Nepali Sherpa category_ides. They made the final leg of the trip, climbing the so-called death zone, in seven hours.

The previous record holder as the oldest person to reach the mountain’s top was Nepal’s Min Bahadur Sherchan, who accomplished it at age 76 in 2008, just a day before Miura reached the top at age 75. Sherchan, now 81, told XXXXX that he is preparing to scale the peak again next week despite digestive problems.

Miura has already discussed his next venture – skiing down the Himalayan mountain of Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world. He’s planning if for 2018 … when he’ll be 85.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first expedition to reach the summit of Everest: Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay made it to the top of the mountain May 29, 1953. More than 200 people have died in the attempt since then.

Source AP