Mark Joseph Inglis

Double amputee, Mark Inglis never let anything bring him down. Mark Joseph Inglis began his profession in mountaineering as a mountaineer search and rescue team member, for Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in 1997. In 1982, Mark and his climbing partner, Phillip Doole, were caught in a snow storm wiles pursuing a rescue. Huddling in a cave for 13 days both Mark's and Phillip's legs were badly frost bitten. After being rescued from a long terrifying trip Mark had to have both of his legs amputated below the knee.

Mark was a determined person and didn't want to give up his dream because of this major setback. Mark's dream was to climb the tallest mountain in the world. You guessed it, MT Everest. But it wasn't just dreams that got him there. Mark had a time of rethinking his career and in doing so he attended Lincoln University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science majoring in biochemistry. He then went to the Christchurch School of Medicine for 3 years before he went and joined Montana wines and became a senior wine maker. But Mark still had a great love for one thing, mountain climbing. In 2006, Mark conquered the great Everest. "Just because I became a double amputee, doesn't mean I should stop doing things in life," said the then 25 year old, Mark Inglis.

Mark also had a passion for cycling and in 1998 he competed in the Sydney 2000 Paralympics, succeeding to bring home a silver medal. In 2002 mark achieved another long term goal, climbing to the summit of Mt Cook New Zealand.

Mark and his wife Anne used his significant climb of the great Everest as a fundraising point, for their charity Limbs4all. Limbs4all is a charity that helps the Cambodia Trust to give prosthetic limbs to people who have lost theirs to the harsh African environment or people who may not be able to afford getting a custom arm or leg. Limbs4all was founded in late 2006- early 2007. The aim of Limbs4all was to help over 4oo million disabled people in the world to be able to run again, or swim again- the things that most of us take for granted.

Mark Joseph Inglis is a passionate man and we can safely say that he is a caring man, but most of all, he is a HERO. A hero that inspires you to pursue you dreams even when people don't think it's a good idea. Another thing that Mark Inglis teaches us is that there is no I in team; Mark could not have climbed Everest without his team of supporters. So if you have a life goal don't let anything bring you down.