Mark Inglis
Hanmer Springs, Canterbury, New Zealand
"For me, it's just another opportunity to be able to excel. It's another opportunity to be able to form people's visions of what they think a disabled person is."
Career Roadmap
Mark's work combines: Action Sports, Environment & Nature, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Chemistry, General
Lincoln University, New Zealand
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Started mountaineering from a young age and then worked on a search and rescue team.
2.
Lost part of each of his legs to frostbite after he and a fellow climber were trapped in an ice cave for 13 days.
3.
Says that ever since he lost his legs, he's focused on turning his situation into an advantage.
4.
Believes an important part of mountaineering is being okay with constantly being scared, and that set him up to overcome this huge setback.
5.
People were always giving him compliments because he had autonomy over his disability, so he "took his foot off the gas."
6.
One day, he stepped back and realized, "I've only scratched the surface of what a double-amputee can do."
7.
Became the first double-amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
8.
Says, "I'm not disabled; I just have the opportunity to live my life in a different way."
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
In 1982 Inglis and climbing partner Philip Doole were stuck in an snow cave on Aoraki/Mount Cook for 13 days due to an intense blizzard. Both legs were amputated below the knee.