A British Army veteran on Friday became the first double above-knee amputee to summit Mount Everest, an accomplishment that is inspiring others.
Hari Budha Magar was determined to reach the 8,849-meter peak, and during a satellite phone conversation he spoke of the extreme difficulty he faced during the climb, ABC News reported Saturday.
“We just had to carry on and push for the top, no matter how much it hurt or how long it took,” he explained, adding that if he can do such a thing anyone can achieve their goals.
“No matter how big your dreams, no matter how challenging your disability, with the right mindset anything is possible,” he said.
In 2010 as a Corporal in the British Army’s Gurkha regiment, he lost his legs in Afghanistan when an IED exploded, according to his website.
But the loss did not keep him from achieving more and more. Since that time, he has worked to “positively transform the way people with a disability are perceived, and how they perceive themselves,” the site read.
In a social media post Monday, Magar shared images of himself at the summit of Mt. Everest and declared “WE DID IT!!!! Life is all about adaptation, Nothing is impossible.”
“We created history, a first of its kind!” he wrote:
WE DID IT!!!!
Life is all about adaptation, Nothing is impossible.
Yes, we did it! We created history, a first of its kind!
The first double above knee amputee to summit Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world at 15:10 hours on 19th May 2023.
It took 25 hours climbing from… pic.twitter.com/d9qGU89sy7— Hari Budha Magar (@Hari_BudhaMagar) May 22, 2023
According to Britannica, the summit of Mount Everest and its upper slopes are “so high in the Earth’s atmosphere that the amount of breathable oxygen there is one-third what it is at sea level.”
“Lack of oxygen, powerful winds, and extremely cold temperatures preclude the development of any plant or animal life there,” the website read.
Meanwhile, another image shows Magar with his hands raised in victory after finishing the climb:
BREAKING NEWS – Hari Budha Magar creates history as he successfully conquers Everest
At around 3pm on May 19th, Hari stood victorious atop the world’s tallest mountain as the first ever double above-knee amputee to scale Mt Everest.Thirteen years after losing his legs in… pic.twitter.com/a24j5ZYkvo
— Hari Budha Magar (@Hari_BudhaMagar) May 20, 2023
The thought of his loved ones and supporters was one of the things that helped boost Magar’s confidence during the journey.
“When things got really tough it was the thought of my amazing family and everyone who’s helped me get onto the mountain that pushed me to the top,” he commented.
