Thursday, January 12, 2012

A Little Inspiring Story- Legless Legend



Mark Joseph Inglis, born on 27 Septemeber 1959, is best known legless mountaineer of the world, He is also an established  wine-maker, cyclist and motivational speaker.  He, had persistent dreams since his boyhood to stand at the top of Mount Everest. He started climbing mountains in right earnest since he was a little more than a boy. But in 1982  a great  tragedy struck. He got stuck in an ice cave near the peak of New Zealand’s majestic Mount Cook. As a result, both his legs had to be amputated below the knees due to frostbite. 
He did not give in. He redoubled his efforts on artificial metal legs and in 2006 his dream came true and he stood on the roof of the world- the summit of Mount Everest. He was the first double amputee to do so. Through this indomitable courage  he not only proved that anything is possible for anybody regardless of insurmountable obstacles  but he also collected thousands of dollars for the double amputees of the world.
He has a degree in human biochemistry and worked as a wine maker for more 10 years. After the accident  he was active as a cyclist and  was an ardent skier. He got several medals in the Sydney 2000 Paralympic  Games . Later the mountains beckoned him back and he scaled Aoraki Mount Cook in January 2002.  In 2004, he was at the summit of Cho Oyu, the 6th highest peak in the world. From this summit he looked straight out at what people had told him impossible, Mount Everest.  And h made history by conquering it without legs!
He wants to make a difference in life and is not satisfied just being a voyeur. He pursues lifelong learning. He takes challenges head on and overcomes every stumbling block that comes his way. And his wife Anne, and  their  three children Amanda, Jeremy and Lucy are all a constant sources of inspiration and support for him.

Of late he has been inspiring people to excel through presentations to corporatations, schools and community groups.  He uses the lessons he has learnt to push the limits further. He is out there to support a lot of people who are in dire need of help.
 He wants to help the 400 million disabled people of the world! He has established in New Zeeland  a charitable trust, Limbs4all, with this in mind. He has also arranged artificial legs for the Sherpas who lost theirs just as he did.  To raise funds he conducts a number of activities including risky trekking adventures in the mountains of Nepal. Mark Inglis is a remarkable person of indomitable courage and is role model for all who want to achieve success in this life.   .



No comments:

Post a Comment