A SHERPA teenager who’s won mountaineering celebrity as the youngest person ever to summit the world’s 14 highest peaks called for Sherpas to be recognised as athletes and expedition leaders as well as porters and guides.

“It’s always been that Sherpas were supporting climbers, and we’re never seen as leaders of expeditions,” Nima Rinji Sherpa said today.

The 18-year-old is planning more, tougher climbs after completing a mission to scale all 14 mountains that rise above 8,000 metres (26,247) feet earlier this month on China’s Mount Shishapangma.