Tom Whittaker (mountaineer)

Tom Whittaker ( born June 9, 1948 in Wales as Thomas Granville Whittaker ) is a British- American mountaineer. He was the first amputee man on Mount Everest.

Life

The son of a Welsh officer drew 1976 in the U.S. and climbed even before he lost in a car accident his right foot in 1979. After he had overcome the ensuing depression, he began kayaking and turns back to the climbing. In 1981 he founded in Pocatello ( Idaho), the Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group ( CWHOG ) to inspire disabled for outdoor sports. As a naturalized U.S. citizen (1986 ) he undertook in 1989 and 1995 attempts to climb Mount Everest, which he finally succeeded at the third attempt on 27 May 1998.

About his performance, the documentary Footprint on Everest and his book Higher purpose informed ( German: Aiming high ). In November 2006, he was Member of the Order of the British Empire. Whittaker earned two master's degrees at Idaho State University and works as a motivational speaker.

Whittaker and his wife Cindy have two daughters.