A Gurkha veteran who lost both legs serving in Afghanistan is aiming to become the first double above-knee amputee to climb the seven highest peaks in each continent.
Hari Budha Magar, 45, made history when he reached the summit of Mount Everest, at 8,849 metres, in 2023, becoming the first double above-knee (DAK) amputee to attempt and complete this challenge.
Having already completed four of the seven highest summits, he plans to climb the remaining three in South America, Oceania and Antarctica in 2025 to achieve his goal.
Mr Budha Magar, who was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to disability awareness last year, says he wants to show the world what people with disabilities can do.
“My main mission for climbing the seven summits is not making history, it’s about raising awareness for disabilities,” Mr Budha Magar told the PA news agency.
“When I was growing up in Nepal I didn’t know about disabilities so when I got injured, I wasted two years of my time not knowing what disabled people could do.
“I thought that my life was finished and that I would sit on wheels here for the rest of my life. Then I got into sports.”
Mr Budha Magar joined the Royal Gurkha Rifles at the age of 19. While serving in Afghanistan he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) and lost both legs in 2010, aged 31.
He said growing up in Nepal people with disabilities were seen as a “burden of the earth” and disability was perceived as a sin from previous lives.
When Mr Budha Magar was first injured he said he was unable to shower or brush his teeth independently and became depressed.
“At one point I was drinking so much, I tried to take my life,” he said, but after looking at his two-year-old son, he realised he “needed to live” for his family.
“After that I started doing the things, I didn’t know how powerful my mind was.”
For the challenge, prosthetic legs had to be specifically designed for Mr Budha Magar, because no legs for climbing mountains existed for DAK amputees.
For his Seven Summits challenge he has already climbed Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and Mount McKinley, the highest mountain peak in North America.
Mount Aconcagua is the second highest of the seven summits.
For this climb he will be testing innovative new feet and designs for prosthetics that he hopes will help others to access outdoor environments.
Later this year he will take on Puncak Jaya in Indonesia, and Mount Vinson, Antarctica, to complete his challenge.
“Hopefully some of my challenges will help our future generations, whether they are amputees or live in cold environments, to be resilient and adapt to life,” he said.
“I hope my climb will inspire others to climb their own mountains and conquer their dreams, whatever that might be.”
To learn more about Mr Budha Magar’s Seven Summits challenge you can visit his fundraising page: https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/5346/hari-budha-magar-7-summits-charity-appeal/
