KATHMANDU

Retired Nepalese Gurkha soldier Hari Budha Magar has become the first above-the-knee double-amputee to summit the highest peak on each of the seven continents.

He stood atop Antarctica's Mount Vinson, the last remaining mountain of his mission at 10 pm (1615GMT) on Tuesday, said Alpine Ascents International.

He battled temperatures of 25C (77F), fierce winds, vertical slopes, and freezing ice fields that tested mind, body, and prosthetic legs to the extreme to reach the top of Vinson at 4.8 kilometers (2.9 miles).

With this, his long-cherished dream of joining the Seven Summit Club, a rare feat accomplished by around 500 climbers, came true.

“If you have a dream and dedicate yourself and never give up, you can achieve anything --whatever life throws at you,” he stated in a statement after the summit.

Born in the remote hills of Nepal, he joined the British Army. He lost both his legs in 2010 while fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Timely treatment saved him.

In an interview, Budha Magar said he even had suicidal thoughts and was addicted to alcohol. To get rid of pain, he began skydiving and skiing and climbing.

When he determined to fulfil his childhood dream of climbing Everest, Nepal banned disabled people from going to the mountains.

He challenged the decision. A top court cleared legal hurdles, paving the way to climb mountains for disabled persons like Buddha Magar.

In the spring of 2023, he successfully reached the summit of Everest, becoming the first person to do so.

Then he eyed the seven-summit title.

The dream has now come true, “showing that with support, adaptation, (and) perseverance, people with disabilities can accomplish the impossible,” his statement added.