On May 15, 2006 a man named Mark Inglis accomplished something that no one had ever done before. Mark Inglis climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest, even though he has no legs.
After suffering severe frostbite while stranded in an ice cave for 13 days on a mountaineering expedition in New Zealand more than 20 years earlier, both of his legs were amputated just below the knee.
His successful ascent to the top of Everest with 2 carbon fiber prosthetic legs is a legitimate inspiration to many. But for me, it was what happened on the descent that impressed and moved me even more.
Phurba Tashi (pictured above) is a Tibetan Sherpa who has stood atop Mt. Everest 16 times. Many of his ascents include the added rigor of hauling gear and fixing ropes for a return trip with people who need his expert guidance to survive their own attempts at the summit of Everest.
As Mark Inglis began his descent, it became apparent that the stumps of both his legs had become so damaged and frostbitten that he would not be able to continue under his own power. A type of sled was rigged using sleeping pads and rope to slide him down with the aid of six other climbers. Once they reached the final leg from Camp Four to Advance Base Camp, there was no more snow to slide on. Mark expected it would take 3 or 4 men to carry him across the rugged rocky terrain. It was at this point that Phurba rigged a harness and proceeded to hoist Mark like a backpack onto his own back. With a strap across his forehead to help pull some of the weight, Phurba, with Mark Inglis facing backwards on his back, negotiated the remaining rocky terrain by himself safely to Base Camp.
To me, Phurba exemplifies the depth of character that puts most of us to shame. Here is a man who works tirelessly and quite literally at the risk of his own life in order to accomplish success for someone else. It is his achievement to see others succeed. And he does it all with a trademark smile on his face.
Consider how different many of our relationships would be if it was our desire to be invisible in the glory we worked for someone else to receive.
