Expedition Team Member
Nawang
Sherpa, Climbing Member
Everest Summiteer
A
native of the high
altitude Solu-Khumbu village of Tapting,
Nawang Sherpa (34 yrs) turned his childhood dream of climbing Mount
Everest into reality when he reached the summit in perfect weather
on May 16, 2004--the first person to do so using a prosthetic leg.
Nawang
overcame severe physical injury in 2000 to hold on to that dream
and make it a reality in 2004. He had received professional training
in mountain climbing and had completed a portion of his certification
work for becoming a high altitude porter before his tragic accident
in 2000.
After
he received his first prosthetic leg, he worked on several treks
and climbs in the Everest region, and twice climbed beyond advanced
base camp on the south face of Everest.
As
a member of our expedition, Nawang gained the summit of Mount Everest
for the first time and earned a place in history as the first Nepali
amputee (and the first trans-tibial amputee from any country) to
stand on top of Everest.
Nawang
and his wife have three young boys and live most of the year in
Kathmandu where Nawang helps other non-profit groups.
See
more team member information...
Nawang
Sherpa epitomizes the legendary strength, perserverance, gentleness,
and indomitable spirit of the Sherpa people. Armed with a positive
commitment to success, strong support of his family (shown in Kathmandu
with his beautiful wife and their three energetic boys), and the
generosity of his many friends, Nawang has been able to create a
new life for himself after his injury in 2000. Since he reached
his dream to climb Mount Everest, he has become a unique spokesperson
for disabled people around the world, particularly in developing
countries.
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Nawang
is the first person to climb Mount Everest using a prosthetic
leg. Unlike virtually every other person who has tried to
climb Mount Everest, he decided not to train or climb any
other peaks before his Everest
attempt,
as he did not want to risk injuring himself or his prosthesis!
When he's not climbing high mountains or speaking to groups about
the capabilities of disabled athletes, Nawang likes to lead treks
and take photographs in his native Himalayan region.
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