Mark Inglis - Ambassador
The Everest Rescue Trust is proud to have Mark Inglis as its Ambassador. As you'll see below, he's a unique man whose talents range far and wide. Along with the Trust's patron, Peter Hillary, Mark was quick to step up when he was approached to be involved with this exciting project. And as a double amputee with a wicked sense of humour, the "step up" comment should get a wry smile from Mark when he reads it. We know that Mark will throw all his energy into this project, just as he has with every project he is passionate about and we look forward to working closely with him in the coming years.
Mark Inglis began work as a professional mountaineer in 1979, as a search and rescue mountaineer for Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. In November of 1982, Inglis and climbing partner Philip Doole were stuck in an ice cave high on Aoraki/Mount Cook for 14 days due to an intense blizzard. The ultimate rescue of the two climbers was a major media event in New Zealand. Both men's legs became badly frost bitten while awaiting rescue. Following Inglis' rescue, both his legs were amputated below the knee.
Since then he graduated with a first class honours degree in human biochemistry to become a research scientist. That career evolved into winemaking with New Zealand's leading winemaker, Montana Wines, where he became Senior Winemaker and spent ten years developing internationally acclaimed wines such as Lindauer, Deutz and the Marlborough classics like Sauvignon Blanc.
In 1998 he began working with Wayne Alexander of Britten Motorcycles and designing very light carbon fibre legs. He won an AMP Achiever Scholarship to support this work. Using the “legs” he developed with Wayne, he’s became an international competitor in disabled skiing and rode at the highest level with Paralympic cycling, winning a silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic games.
The lure of the mountains is strong though and his attention turned back to mountaineering and specifically, the notorious Mt Cook - the mountain that cost him his legs and could so easily have cost him his life. After turning back just shy of the summit three weeks previously with “stump trouble”, Mark finally reached the summit of Mount Cook in January 2002, 20 years after he last stood there.
Mark received the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003 for services to disabled people – people he sees as having a different opportunity not a lack of ability. It was through his motivational speaking that Mark first became involved with the Cambodia Trust in October 2003 when he was invited to speak at the Graduation ceremony of the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics run by the Cambodia Trust in Phnom Penh.
Mark stayed on after graduation to visit the Rehabilitation Centres run by the Trust and worked with the patients, staff and students. He was impressed by the work that they were doing and came back to New Zealand determined to support this work, particularly the Kompong Chh’nang Limb Centre.
In September 2004, Mark successfully conquered the 6th highest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu (8,201m), becoming only the second double amputee to climb an 8,000m peak.
On May 15, 2006, after 40 days of acclimatisation and climbing Mark became the first ever double amputee to stand on the top of the world, the summit of Everest, a feat that illustrates what a unique individual he is. While acclimatising at 6,400 metres, a fixed-line anchor failed resulting in Inglis falling. In the fall, he broke one of his carbon fibre prosthetic legs in half, a problem that would stop most, but not Mark, Duct tape was used as a temporary repair, the leg rebuilt at advanced base camp and then back on up the mountain. The expedition that Inglis was on was filmed for the Discovery Channel series, “Everest: Beyond the Limit”, a title that pretty much describes Mark!
Mark currently resides in the alpine spa town of Hanmer Springs, New Zealand with his wife Anne and their three children who are occasionally home when not off on their own adventures.
What keeps Mark busy?
In addition to being the Ambassador for the Everest Rescue Trust, Mark has created a New Zealand based charitable trust Limbs4All as well as being an in demand international motivational speaker. He has also created a new range of sports drinks and super-high energy gels, aptly named PeakFuel. PeakFuel has been designed as a blend of minerals, sugars, and caffeine to enhance sports performance.
NZ Schools join global interactive campaign to learn about Nepal and Everest while following the Rescue on Everest Challenge at www.rescueoneverest.org
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