Attitude determines your Altitude - Guest Speaker Mark Inglis

Imagine, you are 23 years old, trapped in an ice cave for 14 days by a sub-zero blizzard on the summit of New Zealands highest peak.

You are starving and freezing to death. You wake up in hospital to find that you have lost both legs below the knees due to frostbite.

What do you do next?

If you are Mark Inglis, you climb Mount Everest, of course.”

‘Do not let a disability define your life’

Between losing his legs at 23 years old due to frostbite and then going on to be the first double amputee to have stood on the roof of the world, the summit of Mount Everest, Mark has carved out careers as a scientist, a world recognised winemaker, business creator and innovator, paralympic athlete (NZ’s 1st paralympic cycling medal, a silver at Sydney 2000), Himalayan mountain and trekking guide, philanthropist and a leading International Motivator. Who else can truly define the often used saying, “Attitude determines your Altitude”.

• First (only 2 so far) double amputee to summit Mount Everest (15 May 2006).
• Doctor Of Natural Resources, honoris causa
• Officer of the NZ Order of Merit (ONZM)
• Bachelor of Science, 1st Class Honours, Human Biochemistry
• Founding Trustee and CEO, Limbs4All Charitable Trust
• Ambassador for Scouts NZ, Ambassador for Prostate Cancer Foundation
• Internationally awarded winemaker for 15 years
• Author of 5 books

Mark had a passion and love of the outdoors from childhood. He started work at Mt Cook as a trainee ranger but with his love of mountaineering, soon became one of the regions professional Search and Rescue Mountaineers. In November 1982, Mark and climbing partner Philip Doole became trapped near the summit of Mt Cook in a storm that was to last 13-and-a-half days. The resulting stay in the ice cave - now known as Middle Peak Hotel - resulted in both men almost losing their lives.

In the sporting arena, Mark competed at national and international level in Disabled Alpine Skiing, gaining one gold, two silvers and two bronze medals in 1990, 1991 and 1996. Mark has competed at an international level in Disabled Road Cycling, first representing New Zealand at the World Championships in Colorado Springs 1998 and ranked ninth in the World.