MOUNTAIN CLIMBING No legs, no problem for veteran out to show that disability is not inability

If successful, the expedition will make him the first double above-the-knee amputee to see the world from the 8,849m peak.

After stepping on an improvised explosive device in 2010 which saw him lose his legs, Gurkha veteran Hari Budha Magar thought all was lost until he decided to make his childhood dream of scaling Everest a reality.

Magar, 43, grew up in the shadow of the Himalayas almost all his life but all that changed after the tragic incident happened. At the time, he was serving in Afghanistan with the Brigade of Gurkhas (a unit of Nepalis recruited into the British Army).

As reported by AFP, he is planning to reach the top of the world’s highest mountain, an endeavor promoted on his website under the slogan “no legs, no limits.” This move comes after years of rehabilitation and training.

"After losing both of my legs, my aim became to see what I could do physically. It opened my mind, and I attempted everything I could put my hands on," Magar said, as quoted by AFP.

If successful, the expedition will make him the first double above-the-knee amputee to see the world from the 8,849m (29,032-foot) peak.

Two below-the-knee amputees have reached the peak in the past. New Zealander Mark Inglis in 2006 and China's Xia Boyu in 2018.

Magar grew up in the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range in Nepal and was always drawn to adventure sports.

"When I would ski, the sight of the mountains would remind me of Everest. I would always wonder if I could climb," he said.

Magar began preparing for his own expedition the same year as Xia's ascent. But he was forced to put his training on hold to campaign against a since-revoked Nepal law that banned climbers with disabilities on safety grounds.

Magar finally feels ready for the monumental task ahead after successful summits of Nepal's Mera Peak (6,476m) and the highest peak in the Alps, Mont Blanc (4,808m).

"There have been many difficulties, but finally everything is coming together for my dream," he said.

It is a happy coincidence for Magar that his summit coincides with next month's crowning of King Charles III, almost 70 years later, giving him an opportunity to honour the country he served in battle.

"That's the crown I fought for. That's the crown I lost my legs for," he said.

Magar wears shorts everywhere, even in the chilly Himalayan weather, to proudly flaunt his prosthetic legs but it took him a long time to come to terms with his injury.

"I thought my life was over, I thought I would have to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair," he said.

The father of three felt suicidal and developed a drinking problem before the thought of his children's futures forced him to re-evaluate his own.

Magar said he wanted to show that people with disabilities can do anything, but there is "just a different way of doing things".

On his part, Magar's guide, Krishna Thapa, is confident the expedition will succeed. "He is a great mountaineer... he has six years of preparation and several records," he said.