Nawang Sherpa

Nawang Sherpa became the first person to climb Mount Everest with a prosthetic leg by reaching the summit on May 16, 2004. He is also the first amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest on his first attempt, and the first disabled person from Asia to stand on the summit.

Early life Born in Tapting, a village in the Himalayan Solukhumbu region of Nepal, Nawang developed a passion for mountains at an early age. He dreamed of climbing Everest while training to become a high-altitude Sherpa mountain guide.

However, in 2000 after completing part of his training, he was involved in a traffic accident in Kathmandu, resulting in the amputation of his left leg. In May 2001, he traveled to California with the help of friends, where he received a prosthetic leg donated by the Orthopaedic Surgery Department at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Arriving on crutches, he left a month later walking confidently on two legs.

Mountain climbing In the spring of 2002, Nawang met Ed Hommer, a renowned double amputee mountaineer, in Kathmandu. Hommer, who had just attempted Everest, invited him to join his expedition planned for 2003. Unfortunately, Hommer was killed in a rockfall during training on Mount Rainier later that year. Supported by his younger brother Ang Dawa Sherpa and friend Nima Gombu Sherpa, the team faced record snowfall and logistical challenges that ultimately prevented them from reaching the summit.

His accomplishments received recognition, including the Everest Award from the Nepal Mountaineering Association and the Suprabal Gorakha Dakshin Bahu (Third) Gold Medal from His Majesty the King of Nepal.