Tom Whittaker (mountaineer)
Encyclopedia
Tom Whittaker was the first disabled person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest
.
Whittaker's right foot needed to be amputated
following a car accident in 1979. Following this serious accident, he regained his strength and continued climbing.
In 1981 he founded the Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group (C.W.HOG) in Pocatello, Idaho
. While living in Idaho, he was active in the southeast Idaho climbing community.
His first attempt on Everest was in 1995.
On May 27, 1998, on his third attempt, Whittaker reached the summit of Mt. Everest, a lifelong dream, making him the first person with a disability to accomplish this feat.
Whittaker's current quest is to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents.
In the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List, Whittaker was awarded the MBE.
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
.
Whittaker's right foot needed to be amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
following a car accident in 1979. Following this serious accident, he regained his strength and continued climbing.
In 1981 he founded the Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group (C.W.HOG) in Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
. While living in Idaho, he was active in the southeast Idaho climbing community.
His first attempt on Everest was in 1995.
On May 27, 1998, on his third attempt, Whittaker reached the summit of Mt. Everest, a lifelong dream, making him the first person with a disability to accomplish this feat.
Whittaker's current quest is to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents.
In the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List, Whittaker was awarded the MBE.