Hari Budha Magar aims to summit Everest in time for King’s Coronation
Record-breaking mountaineer and GWT Ambassador Hari Budha Magar will be setting off for Nepal this April, where he aims to become the first double above-knee amputee to summit Mount Everest. The Gurkha Welfare Trust is proud to be sponsoring him in this incredible adventure.
Hari’s story was recently featured in The Sun, where he mentioned that his climb will correlate with the King’s Coronation. “It would be amazing if I could do it on [Coronation] day,” Hari said. “I may be on my way to the summit, or coming down. If we are at Base Camp we will organise a celebration. It all depends on the weather window.”
If Hari were to summit Everest during the King’s Coronation, it would mirror Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s accomplishment of being the first to conquer Everest during the Queen’s Coronation in 1953.
Hari has dreamt of climbing Mount Everest since he was a young boy. He was born in a small, remote village in Western Nepal, facing the challenges of poverty and growing up during a civil war that killed more than 17,000 people. At just 19 years old, Hari joined the British Army, going on to serve 15 years with The Royal Gurkha Rifles. In 2010, he was injured while serving in Afghanistan and lost both of his legs above the knee.
Despite this adversity, Hari was determined to challenge himself and reach new heights. He trained hard to climb mountains across the globe, setting new world records. In 2017 he became the first double above-knee amputee to summit over 6,000 metres on Mera Peak. He’s also conquered Mount Kilimanjaro, Ben Nevis, Mont Blanc, Mount Toubkal, and Chulu Far East. “I have dedicated my life to raise awareness of disability and inspire others to conquer their dreams,” he said.
Hari encourages others to accept who they are and take on new challenges. He continues to campaign for ‘universal accessibility’, and champions awareness of disabilities around the world.
In February 2022 Hari became an Ambassador for The Gurkha Welfare Trust. We are delighted to have such an inspirational man representing the Trust, and will follow him every step of the way as he takes on Everest and makes history.
So far, Hari has raised over £150,000 on Crowdfunder for his epic Everest expedition, about halfway to his fundraising goal of £312,000. You can keep up with his training and other updates by following him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.