Nepal UK
London – Ex- Gurkha soldier Hari Budha Magar has become the first above-the-knee double-amputee to summit the highest peak on each of the seven continents.
He stood atop Antarctica's Mount Vinson, the last remaining mountain of his mission at 10 pm (1615GMT) on Tuesday, said Alpine Ascents International.
He battled temperatures of 25C (77F), fierce winds, vertical slopes, and freezing ice fields that tested mind, body, and prosthetic legs to the extreme to reach the top of Vinson at 4.8 kilometers (2.9 miles).
With this, his long-cherished dream of joining the Seven Summit Club, a rare feat accomplished by around 500 climbers, came true.
“If you have a dream and dedicate yourself and never give up, you can achieve anything --whatever life throws at you,” he stated in a statement after the summit.
Born in Rolpa district, west Nepal, he joined the British Army. He lost both his legs in 2010 while fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Timely treatment saved him.
In the spring of 2023, he successfully reached the summit of Everest, becoming the first above-the-knee double-amputee person to do so.
Then he eyed the seven-summit title.
The dream has now come true, “showing that with support, adaptation, (and) perseverance, people with disabilities can accomplish the impossible,” his statement added.
Magar, who has been awarded an MBE and is also a Pride of Britain award winner, will donate the money raised from his seven peaks challenge - the current total of which stands at more than £30,000 - to veterans' charities such as On The Gurkha Welfare Trust, Blesma, Team Forces Course Foundation and Pilgrim Bandits, BBC News reported.
