On December 8, Hari Budha Magar successfully climbed Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica. With this ascent, Budha Magar has become the first double above-knee amputee climber to complete the Seven Summits—scaling the highest mountains on all seven continents.
He departed for Antarctica from the United Kingdom on Christmas Eve and, accompanied by his support team, Aviral Rai, Mingma Sherpa, and Jangbu Sherpa, completed the demanding climb in three days. He reached the 4,892-metre summit at 10 pm on January 6, 2026.
Battling the extreme cold of minus 25 degrees Celsius, fierce winds, and steep icy slopes with the help of prosthetic legs, Budha Magar has sent a powerful message to the world that “nothing is impossible.”
Speaking after the climb, he said his dream and determination prove that any obstacle in life can be overcome. He expressed hope that this achievement would serve as a milestone in changing perceptions toward persons with disabilities.
“We have shown that nothing is impossible and raised awareness about disability,” Budha Magar says after reaching the summit. “We have inspired others to climb their own mountains and pursue their dreams, no matter what.”
He added, “If you have a dream and dedicate yourself to it, you can achieve anything.”
Budha Magar said he planned the Seven Summits campaign to raise awareness about disability and to inspire others like him to fulfil their own dreams of climbing mountains.
He expressed heartfelt gratitude to his family, friends, supporting organisations, and well-wishers for helping make his historic journey a success.
Before Mount Vinson, Budha Magar had already climbed the highest peaks of six continents. He summited Mont Blanc (4,810 m) in Europe on August 13, 2019, Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) in Africa on January 8, 2020, Mount Everest (8,849 m) in Asia on May 19, 2023, Denali (6,194 m) in North America on June 28, 2024, Aconcagua (6,961 m) in South America on February 22, 2025, and Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m) in Oceania on October 18, 2025.
He also made history by becoming the first person without both legs to summit Denali and Carstensz Pyramid.
Budha Magar’s family currently lives in Canterbury, the United Kingdom. Last year, he received the prestigious MBE award from the UK.
Born in Mirul, Thawang Rural Municipality of Rolpa, Budha Magar joined the British Army at the age of 19, dreaming of building a better future. At 31, while serving with the Royal Gurkha Rifles, he stepped on an improvised explosive device during deployment in Afghanistan in 2010, losing both legs above the knee.
When he regained consciousness after the blast, he felt life was over. He went through prolonged physical and mental trauma and developed an addiction to alcohol while trying to numb the pain. At times, he even contemplated suicide.
“But the love of my family and children made me realise I should not die,” he says. “Instead, I began focusing on adventure sports, forgetting my physical disability. When I started skiing, golfing, and cycling, my confidence gradually grew. It helped transform my life.”
Budha Magar travelled to Europe and the United States to ski and became Nepal’s first athlete with a disability to take up skiing. After receiving mountaineering training, he also worked as a mountain instructor, learning that with willpower, nothing is impossible.
As a student, he had read extensively about Mount Everest and was inspired by the stories of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary. Later, he climbed the world’s highest peak himself, setting a world record.
When asked how a person without both legs managed to climb Everest using prosthetic limbs, the former Gurkha soldier often replies, “I climbed Everest not with my legs, but with my inner strength.”
