Kent Gurkha veteran and double amputee mountaineer sends message of 'hope' after being made MBE

A Gurkha veteran who lost both legs serving in Afghanistan said he is "honoured" to be made an MBE recognising his "lifetime mission" to change perceptions of people with disabilities.

Hari Budha Magar became the first double above-the-knee amputee (DAK) to reach the summit of Mount Everest at 8,849m in 2023 as part of his work to show people "anything is possible".

The 44-year-old who lives in Canterbury, Kent, has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours for services to disability awareness.

READ MORE: The full list of Kent people recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List 2024

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Mr Budha Magar told the PA news agency: "I'm delighted and honoured to be recognised for work I (am) doing."

"I'm here to send a positive message around the world. This is my aim... something of hope and optimism."

The father-of-three joined the Royal Gurkha Rifles at the age of 19 and while serving in Afghanistan he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) and lost both legs in 2010.

He said growing up in Nepal people with disabilities were seen as a "burden of the earth" and disability was perceived as a sin from previous lives.

"When I lost my legs I thought my life is finished," he said.

"I really wasted my time, about two years of my time, just not knowing what to do and just getting depressed and trying to take my life."

"I think if I was aware of disability then I didn't have to go through all of this. I wasn't very educated and aware. So now my aim is to just climb the mountain and (raise) awareness of disability as much as I can."

Mr Budha Magar successfully campaigned to the Supreme Court in Nepal to overturn a ban on people with disabilities climbing Everest in 2018, before making mountaineering history himself in 2023.

For the challenge, prosthetic legs had to be specifically designed for Mr Budha Magar because no legs for climbing mountains existed for DAK amputees.

"We're doing lots of research and developments at the moment and I hope that our future generations of DAK will benefit," he said.

"Now is for me to work for our future generations. I think that some of my work hopefully, you know, will make it better for our future generations."

Since the trailblazing achievement, the adventurer is vying to complete climbing the seven highest peaks on each continent, having already reached the summit of Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc.

After becoming an MBE, Mr Budha Magar travelled to Alaska where he plans to summit Mount Denali.

The veteran is crowdfunding and looking for sponsors to complete the record-breaking challenge for a double above-knee amputee.

On attempting the North American mountain, Mr Budha Magar said: "This is the first time ever I think (a) double above-knee amputee is attempting that mountain and to do that, I think just to make aware, specifically to people with disabilities, that we can also do these things."

"We might have a weakness on our legs, and eyes, or hands, or some other parts, but... we all have weaknesses."

"So to show that people with disabilities, we can do something, we are capable to do, live, like other people, we can live a successful and meaningful life and happy life."

He is also currently fundraising for a target of £884,900 the height of Everest "plus two 00s" for five charities close to his heart that supported him since losing his legs.

Mr Budha Magar believes things have come "some way" in progress in disability awareness among people with disabilities but also society at large, but there still remains "a long way to go".

He added: "I think, in the Western world, people are looked at like paralympians or something like miserable, poor who live off benefits and we need to change that perception.

The mountaineer said he wants more people with disabilities "to do what they love" across society in sport, music, politics and social work as "together we can change it".

"Just me being myself, I can do so much, right?" he said.

"This is why I'm supporting disabled people around the world to do whatever they like to do so that we can make our world a slightly better place for people with a disability but also for their families."

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