A man who inspires others - Mark Inglis

He is a Motivational Speaker with difference – “Let’s learn to fly – in business and in life” is his call.

He is Mark Inglis on a visit to India holding Motivational lectures in various cities.  Today he speaks at Chennai and great that Royal Sundaram has organized one for its employees.   There cannot be a better person who can share one’s experience, challenges and how to turn them to advantage !  He claims that concept of challenge and personal excellence is an integral part of his life, responsible on many levels for how  he has turned what many people would think of as stumbling blocks to the stepping stones of life, both on the mountain and in the board room.

If I were to bring in some cricket connection – remember the Kiwi wicket keeper batsman Adam Craig Parore.  In May 2011, he summitted Mount Everest – becoming the only cricketer to do so. 

Sagar Mata – the Holy Mother – Mount Everest, the earth’s highest mountain with its peak at 8848 meters (29029 ft) continues to inspire people and considered an ultimate challenge scaling it.  After thousands of attempts, it was first conquered on 29^th May 1953 when New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay from Nepal climbed the Mountain Peak. 

Mark Joseph Inglis is not just another mountaineer; he is a  researcher, winemaker and motivational speaker. He holds a degree in Human Biochemistry from Lincoln University, New Zealand, and has conducted research in Leukemia. He is also an accomplished cyclistand won a silver medal in the 1 km time trial event at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games ! 

In 1982 Inglis and climbing partner Philip Doole were stuck in an snow cave on Aoraki/Mount Cook for 13 days due to an intense blizzard. The 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. He returned to Mt. Cook in 2002 and reached the summit successfully on 7 January of that year, after a previous attempt was thwarted by problems with his leg stumps. The summit assault in January 2002 was documented by the film No Mean Feat: The Mark Inglis Story.

In 2003, Inglis received the New Zealand Order of Merit as an Officer in recognition of his services to disabled people. On 15 May 2006, after forty days of climbing, Inglis became the first ever double amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest.  Inglis's Everest expedition was filmed for the Discovery Channel series Everest: Beyond the Limit.

So it is indeed a rare occasion and a great honour to meet and hear Mark Inglis speak today !!!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.