The King’s Sports Centre member Hari Budha Magar is the winner of a special recognition award at the 2024 Pride of Britain Awards.
Hari Budha Magar, the first above-the-knee double amputee to conquer Mount Everest, has been honoured with the Special Recognition Award at this year’s Pride of Britain. His incredible achievements are not only redefining perceptions of disability but also inspiring countless individuals to overcome their own challenges.
A former Gurkha soldier, Hari lost both legs in a 2010 IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan. Undeterred by this life-changing event, Hari set his sights on climbing the highest mountains on every continent, proving that disability is not a barrier to achievement. His remarkable feats include scaling Mont Blanc in 2019, Kilimanjaro in 2020, and reaching the summit of Everest in May last year, where he became the first double above-the-knee amputee to achieve this incredible feat.
Reflecting on his journey, Hari shared: “It was tough, and there were moments I wanted to give up, but I kept pushing through. My motivation was to raise awareness of disabilities and to show the world that just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”
His determination continued this year when he reached the summit of North America’s highest peak, Denali, in July. Hari’s mission isn’t over yet—he still plans to scale Aconcagua in South America, Puncak Jaya in Oceania, and Mount Vinson in Antarctica to complete his ambitious goal.
Having been awarded an MBE earlier this year for his services to disability awareness, Hari now adds the prestigious Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award to his accolades. He hopes his story encourages others to embrace a positive mindset and realise that, with the right attitude, anything is possible. “Life is about adaptation,” Hari says. “Nothing is impossible.”
Hari now lives in Canterbury and is a member of the King’s Sports Centre.
The Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards with TSB will be shown on ITV1 at 20:00 on Thursday 24th October 2024 and this year will be celebrating the landmark 25th anniversary.”