Conquering Everest After Losing Both Legs... A 'Human Triumph' Over Adversity

Veteran Who Lost Leg in Afghan War
"Will Change Disability Awareness and Inspire"

A Nepalese-born British 'Gurkha' veteran who lost both legs in the Afghanistan war has successfully climbed Mount Everest. He stated that he chose the mountain climb to 'change perceptions about disability.'

On the 20th (local time), the British public broadcaster BBC detailed the conquest of Mount Everest by Hari Budha Magar, a veteran of the British Army Gurkha unit. Wearing prosthetic legs instead of his two legs, he started the climb from the base camp on the 6th and reached the summit around 3 p.m. on the 19th.

Magar is a former member of the elite Gurkha regiment of the British Army. Gurkhas were originally mercenaries hired from Nepal and have been favored by the British Army since the 19th century. They fought valiantly on the side of the British Army during World Wars I and II, and the British Army currently officially operates the Gurkha regiment as a foreign unit.

Magar enlisted in the British Army Gurkha regiment in 1999. He was deployed to the Afghanistan front in 2010, where he suffered the tragedy of losing both legs due to an improvised explosive device (IED) attack.

Hari Budha Magar climbing Mount Everest [Image source=Instagram]

However, he later resolved, saying, "If I am not destined to die, I will not die anywhere in this world," and decided to channel his passion into mountain climbing instead of military service.

Magar set his goal to climb Mount Everest. However, his disability became the first obstacle. At the end of 2017, the Nepalese government revised mountain regulations to reduce fatal accidents, banning people with disabilities such as those without both legs and the visually impaired from climbing Everest.

Subsequently, Magar fought to repeal the ban on disabled people climbing Mount Everest. Eventually, in 2018, the Supreme Court of Nepal accepted a petition that the Nepalese government's change in mountain regulations was discriminatory and canceled the ban.

On April 3rd, Hari Buddha Magar (43) held a press conference ahead of his Everest summit attempt. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Bad weather also hindered him. Since his arrival at the base camp, extreme cold persisted near Mount Everest, forcing him to wait 18 days until the weather improved. After finally reaching the summit through hardship, the weather worsened again, and he had to move quickly within minutes.

However, with the help of former Gurkha and British special forces veteran mountain leader Krish Thapa and his team members, he was able to complete the climb safely. Regarding this, he expressed gratitude to the BBC, saying, "When things got tough, my family and those around me all helped me."

Magar decided to climb Mount Everest to change perceptions about disability. He emphasized, "My greatest goal is to change people's perceptions about disability and inspire those with disabilities. It doesn't matter how big your dream is or how severe your disability is. With the right mindset, anything is possible."