No Legs, No Limits: Hari Budha Magar's Unstoppable Ascent to Greatness

Who is Hari Budha Magar, and what makes him unique?

Hari Budha Magar’s story begins in rural Rolpa, Nepal, where he grew up walking barefoot to school amid the turmoil of the Nepalese Civil War. He later joined the British Army, serving as a combat medic and sniper. But in 2010, everything changed when an IED explosion in Afghanistan took both his legs above the knee.

For many, that would have been the end. For Hari, it marked the beginning of something extraordinary. In 2017, he became the first double above‑knee amputee to summit Mera Peak. Then on May 19, 2023, he made history reaching the top of the world, Mount Everest.

The Mindset That Moves Mountains.

Hari’s resilience is as astonishing as his physical feats. He shared the harrowing experience of losing his legs in Afghanistan, explaining how "I stepped onto the IED, and I lost it."  Following the explosion, he was medevacked by the Americans and woke up hours later disoriented in a military hospital with no legs.

After the accident, Hari was in a bad place. He shared a profound insight into his mindset with me. "I thought that my life was finished. I felt like a burden." The years that followed were dark, with PTSD, alcoholism, and a sense that life had closed in around him. But one morning, after heavy drinking, he reached a turning point: continue down a destructive path, or live fully with what he had left. That decision changed everything.

Hari's mental resilience grew as he engaged in various sports and adventures, proving that anything is possible, even without legs. His incredible journey began underscoring the power of mindset in overcoming life's challenges. He explains, "I didn't know how powerful the mind could be, and I wanted to know what I could still do even without legs. And that's when I tried Paralympic sports and extreme adventures."

His realization that adapting to one's abilities can make the impossible possible was a turning point. “If people can reach other planets,” he said, “why couldn’t someone with no legs stand on Everest?”

It’s a message with deep relevance for business leaders: a growth mindset as Carol Dweck coined it in her 2006 book, Mindset. The human mind can transform roadblocks into stepping-stones.

Training for Everest: Reinventing What’s Possible.

Preparing for Everest required ingenuity. Hari trained using human‑like prosthetics on the treadmill, hand‑cycled for endurance, swam using only his arms, and practiced technical mountaineering skills. Every detail mattered, from cardio conditioning to mastering ice tools. Hari said, " I used to do treadmill, and then cardio, which is good for pumping the lungs. But also, tooling, including ice action styles to ensure everything was dialled."

When I spoke to Hari, it struck me that his training plan was meticulous, even attempting to simulate climbing conditions in the gym. He worked hard to ensure he was physically and mentally prepared for the challenges ahead.

As described in a recent Forbes article, in today's fast-paced business world, strategic planning and preparation emerge as an essential tool for the success and survival of companies. The ability to anticipate, adapt and direct resources toward specific goals is crucial in a competitive environment where outside-in changes are exponentially accelerating.

Climbing Everest Without Legs: Challenges Few Can Imagine.

Climbing Everest is a daunting task for anyone with four limbs, but for Hari, the challenges were magnified threefold. He explained, "My biggest challenge is covering the distance because I have a small gait, as I don't have knees, and I walk from my hip. This means it's three times longer than normal climbers, and I burn three times more energy." The endurance required to keep this up for hours a day and weeks at a time is nothing short of superhuman.

Hari had to use steel stumps with crampons on the end, making him much lower than other climbers. This unique adaptation required him to move more slowly, crawl across ladders, and navigate the treacherous Khumbu Icefall with a wobbling gait, akin to a penguin. The physical exertion was immense, but Hari's inside-out determination never wavered.

He explains how navigating the Hillary Step, the last obstacle before reaching the summit, was particularly difficult. "You're hanging off a sheer cliff face. My two legs were not flexing or long enough to get good footholds." Brute force and determination got him over this last monumental hurdle.

Hari's journey up Everest was not just a physical challenge but a mental one. The constant need to adapt and find new ways to overcome obstacles was a testament to his grit, ingenuity, and perseverance. He used different specialized tools to adapt to the climbs he had to overcome. Hari explains, "I knew that I might die, and it's going to take a long time to get to the top of this mountain. I was also worried I might lose more limbs due to frostbite."

Finally, on May 19, 2023, Hari Budha Magar achieved the impossible and stood victorious atop the world's tallest mountain. Incredible.

The Power of Support.

Support systems played a crucial role in Hari's journey and eventual success. He emphasized the importance of his family, friends, and the British military. He said, "the military system was amazing. I had many people helping me, including my family, and my wife who stood by my side, encouraging me to be bold."

In the corporate world, enabling support functions, like HR, finance, and IT, are also crucial because they provide the necessary infrastructure and support for core operations to function efficiently and effectively from the inside out. As described in a Harvard Business Review article, if support functions don't make good choices, they put the overall firm strategy at risk.

But, Hari also acknowledged that it is up to the individual to decide their path. "It's about mindset, what you want to do in life, and why you want to live." Hari's motivation also comes from the impact he has on others and the gratitude he receives. "When people say thank you, well done, and keep it going, you feel great, and you go on and struggle up another big mountain."

No Legs. No Limits. Lessons for Life and Business.

Hari's message is simple yet profound: "Don't give up. Keep going. Do something you love."

Despite losing both legs, he refused to let his disability define him. His determination to overcome physical and mental barriers is genuinely inspiring. Hari's mountaineering feats are extraordinary; he became the first double above-knee amputee to summit Mount Everest and many other mountains, highlighting his incredible physical and mental strength. Something we can learn from in business, as leaders battle with company performance, risks, uncertainties and damaging market headwinds.

Hari also underscores the significance of small achievements that lead to something bigger and the transformative power of hard work and commitment. Confidence doesn't come with a magic wand; it comes from sheer hard work, dedication, and persistence. His story is a powerful reminder that resilience and perseverance can lead to extraordinary accomplishments in life and business.

By Dr. Lance Mortlock – Strategist, Adjunct Associate Professor & Author of Outside In, Inside Out – Unleashing the Power of Business Strategy in Times of Market Uncertainty