Wounded soldier turns tragedy into triumph with a record-setting ascent of Mount Everest
Thirteen years ago, Hari Budha Magar lost both his legs while serving in the Gurkha regiment of the British Army, but that didn’t prevent him from standing on top of the world.
“We all have our own weakness and disabilities,” says Magar. “But instead of the weaknesses, we should be focusing on our strength and then only we can all lead a better and meaningful life."
Magar can thank mountaineering for his positive outlook on life. After falling into depression and heavy drinking, he discovered climbing as an outlet. And it soon proved to be his salvation. Wearing prosthetic legs, he rose to the challenge of climbing some of the world’s most difficult mountains, reaching the summit of Mont Blanc in France, Africa's tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, and Mera Peak in his native Nepal. But it was another Himalayan giant that most intrigued him.
Mount Everest, known to the Nepalese as Sagarmatha, which means “the Goddess of the Sky," is a sacred place. And for a mountaineer, reaching the summit is the Holy Grail. A little more than 6,000 people have reached its peak, but no climber with a double amputation above the knee has ever conquered the mountain.
Magar was determined to be the first.
Watch the video to see a double amputee conquer the world's highest mountain
However, before setting foot on Everest, Magar first had to battle the Nepalese government, which had banned people with disabilities from climbing high mountains. His appeal against the ruling went all the way to Nepal’s Supreme Court, and he won the case.
Magar and his team began the ascent of Everest, battling brutal weather, treacherous terrain, and a lack of oxygen to finally reach the summit. Thus, he became the first double above-the-knee amputee to stand on top of the world.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Army veteran and double amputee sets a record by summiting Everest
