LIONESS
COMING SOON
LIONESS
The harrowing true story of Colorado Springs bilateral-amputee climber Mandy Horvath's record-breaking attempt to crawl to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the crime that changed her life.
LIONESS
TIME STUDIOS presents; LIONESS
LIONESS follows 27-year-old Colorado Springs climber, Mandy Horvath, as she reveals the harrowing story behind her record-breaking ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro in July 2021 for the first time. On Mandy’s 21st birthday, with a promising career as a chef ahead of her, Mandy was out with friends she thought she could trust in Steele City, Nebraska when her life changed forever.
Drugged and left to die on train tracks, Mandy awoke after being struck by a freight train. Mandy underwent years of grueling operations resulting in the amputation of both of her legs. After learning to walk again with prosthetics, Mandy fought to reclaim her independence and will to live through climbing. Mandy successfully ascended Pikes Peak, the Statue of Liberty, and the Manitou Incline on her hands in 2018.
Mandy’s story went viral and as a result, appeared on the Today Show, The Doctors, and found widespread support and acclaim. Her darkest secret was revealed following a series of embarrassing arrests. She had been under the influence of drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain during all of her climbs. On August 18th, 2018, she assaulted an EMT during a DUI arrest and consequently tried to take her own life. Mandy was sentenced to 180 days in jail for felony assault and shamed by the media.
Three years sober, Mandy’s journey has led to her greatest challenge yet; to conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world's tallest free-standing mountain, as a way to prove to herself that what happened to her doesn’t need to define her.
This adventure marks Mandy’s first time outside the USA. Fighting off infections on both of her hands, wild weather, and her unwillingness to trust her guides and porters, Mandy struggles to overcome her demons as she dreams of being the first female bilateral amputee to summit a formidable mountain that kills on average one climber a month.
Featuring never-before-seen footage from her childhood and previous climbs set against the beauty of Tanzania, Mandy Lady sets the record straight about her death-defying life and what really happened the night she lost her legs. Under the guidance of commanders Julius John White and Carel Verhof, Mandy successfully conquered the mountain. Mandy Lady is an inspiring story of the redemption of a young woman from small-town America reclaiming her independence despite all odds.
“I may not be the hero you want, but I’m the one you f***ing got.” - Mandy Horvath
–
LIONESS