Gurkha veteran Hari Budha Maggar made a world record of successfully climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents after finally defeating the top of Mount Vinson in Antarctica on 6th January 2026. Despite being double above knee amputee, he finally completed the challenge of three days ascent of Antarctica's 16,059ft (4,892m).
Though born in a remote village in Himalayas Nepal, he refused to stop himself aiming big in life. He spent his childhood days in Mirul, in the Rolpa District where he struggled a lot for his daily livelihood. Forced to get married at an early age of 11, Magar joined the British Army via the Royal Gurkha Rifles when he was 19 years of age.
Hari Budha Magar Know More About his Personal Life and Early Days
Magar was born in 1979 in a remote village of the Himalayas in Nepal. Spending his childhood in Mirul, in the Rolpa district, he became the first person from his village to pass high school. He also witnessed the Nepalese Civil War during his teenage years which lasted 10 years that killed 17,000 people nationwide.
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| Source: Linkedin |
Though he was forcefully married at the age of 11, the 47-year-old lives a happy life in Canterbury with his wife and three children. He frequently posts about his kids on social media which shows that he has a strong bond with his family members.
Defeated Seven Highest Peaks in Seven Continents
Departing his home in the United Kingdom on Christmas Eve and travelling to one of the most harsh and remote places in the world, Magar and his team of seven Nepalese climbers battled -25℃, steep vertical slopes, and Antarctic winds.
The seven Nepali who successfully reached the summit with him included Jangbu Sherpa, Migma Sherpa, Aang Phurba Sherpa, JB Sherpa, Mingma Phortse, and Abiral rai.
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| Source: The Gurkha Welfare Trust |
The team said,
“Antarctic winds, treacherous slopes and freezing ice fields tested the former infanteer’s mind, body and prosthetic legs to the extreme.”
Magar, after the summit said,
“If you have a dream and dedicate yourself and never give up, you can achieve anything-whatever life throws at you. We have shown that nothing is impossible and made awareness of disability, inspiring others to climb ‘their own mountains’ and conquer their dreams whatever that might be.”
Further, Magar stated to the Gurkha Brigade Association,
“The climb was very tough, the conditions and difficulty meant that I was literally crawling up on all fours, battling my way up the mountain.”
His seven peaks challenge started with Mount Blanc in the Alps with the 15,780 ft (4,819m) in August 2019. Later he summited Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (19,341ft/5,895m) in 2020 and the highest peak Everest (29,032ft/8,849m) in May 2023. He continued with his craze conquering North America’s Denali (20,308ft/6,190m) in June 2024, South America’s Aconcagua (22,840ft/6,961m) in February 2025 and Puncak Jaya in Oceania (16,023ft/4,884m) in October 2025.
Hari Budha Magar His Military Career and Afghanistan Incident
Magar joined the British Army at the age of 19 via the Royal Gurkha Rifles. During his training and operations he served across five continents. His key roles included Sniper, Combat Medic, and Covert Surveillance. Everything was going on smoothly in his life until he faced a serious accident in Afghanistan in 2010.
He accidentally stepped on an improvised explosive device IED when he was serving with the British Army in Afghanistan. As a result, he lost his legs, both above the knee making him mentally and physically vulnerable.
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| Source: BBC News |
Memorising the accident, he said,
“That IED in Afghanistan should have killed me, but instead I was given a second chance to do something positive.”
“I found amazing people who believed in me, who even helped design new prosthetics to allow me to physically take on the challenge. As a result, if I had the opportunity today to bring back my legs, I would actually decline.”
Further, he added,
“Because my mission now is to help, inspire and empower others.”
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done around disability, so I am dedicating the rest of my life to raising that awareness.”
“Changing perceptions of disability will not happen overnight. Since Everest, I have dedicated my life to this mission, showing that with support, adaptation, and perseverance, people with disabilities can accomplish the impossible. Please help me to make awareness of disability around the world-this message should go to every person with a disability, their loved ones, society and authorities.”
Defeating the seven summits enabled by DIGI2AL, Magar is actively engaged in raising funds for veterans’ charities that include Blesma, Team Forces, The Gurkha Welfare Trust, Pilgrim Bandits, and On Course Foundation.
