Mark Inglis is a pioneering adventurer, scientist, and philanthropist who has defied physical limitations to achieve extraordinary feats. His life story is one of resilience, innovation, and an unbreakable spirit.
Growing up with a passion for the outdoors, Mark’s journey began as a trainee ranger at Mt Cook, where he became a professional Search and Rescue Mountaineer. His life took a dramatic turn in November 1982 when he and climbing partner Philip Doole were trapped on Mt Cook in a 13-day storm, leading to the loss of both his legs to frostbite. Forced to reinvent his future, Mark pursued a new path in science, earning a First-Class Honours degree in Biochemistry from Lincoln University in 1989. His research at the Christchurch School of Medicine contributed to advancements in the diagnosis of leukaemias and genetic studies of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Mark’s adaptability saw him transition into winemaking, joining Montana Wines in Marlborough in 1992. His scientific expertise and passion for wine propelled him to senior winemaking roles, where he played a key role in producing renowned wines such as Deutz Marlborough Cuvée and Lindauer. His global expertise expanded further with studies in Champagne, Burgundy, and Alsace, along with extensive presentations in the UK.
Despite his career shifts, Mark remained deeply committed to sport, excelling in Disabled Alpine Skiing, where he claimed multiple national and international medals. He later turned to competitive cycling, representing New Zealand at the World Championships and winning a historic silver medal in the 1000m individual time trial at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games.
Mountaineering remained a central passion, and in 2002, Mark made history by summiting Mt Cook once again, this time on prosthetic legs. In 2004, he climbed Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest mountain, setting the stage for his most audacious challenge. On May 16, 2006, Mark became the first double amputee to conquer Mt Everest, overcoming immense physical and environmental challenges, including a broken prosthetic leg mid-ascent.
As an author, Mark has documented his journey in five books, sharing his insights on resilience and human potential. His contributions to the disability community were recognised in 2002 when he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He founded the Limbs4All Charitable Trust, supporting disabled individuals worldwide, and continues to advocate for inclusive opportunities.
Mark’s impact extends across continents, consulting with business leaders, mentoring change-makers, and leading treks in Nepal to support limb-loss projects. His life is a testament to the power of challenge, attitude, and the belief that human potential knows no limits.
Talking Points
The Accidental Traveller
A 50 - 90 minute keynote that blends Mark's journey through life and challenges faced as a metaphor for culture change in business. Mark blends his corporate life, his mountaineering feats and his 1982 Mt Cook Middlepeak accident that changed his life forever - learn the lessons from one who has lived them
The Accidental Traveller
The Mountain Choice
A team event that challenges the group to make decisions under pressure and without full information - just like most days in business - the 90 minute program results in an 'ah ha' moment that reinforces the messages of collaboration and decision making under stress
The Mountain Choice
Video
Mark Inglis - Be an Optimalist
Mark Inglis is perhaps best known as the first double amputee to reach the summit of Mt Everest. In 1982, Inglis and climbing partner were stuck in an ice cave on Aoraki/Mount Cook for thirteen days due to an intense blizzard. 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.We've had a number of very good people present at conference over the years. Mark's presentation at our April 2012 Conference in Queenstown, was a stand out. He enabled us to get an understa ... keep reading Bell-Booth
Mark was interesting, motivating and engaging.
Mark was extremely professional and easy to deal with. He inspired the audience.
"In fact it exceeded our expectations. Fantastic audience reaction, everyone was very impressed and inspired by Mark's presentation. It set the 'scene' for the conference very well. Very inspirational. It was 100% perfect. Mark was brilliant, both with the speech and his organisation of the wine tasting. It was also great to have him join us for dinner."
Surpassed all expectations. All participants were enthralled and amazed at his exploits and his positive attitude. ... His presentation was very well aligned on values with our company and fitted with the message of focussing on what you can change and learning and moving forward.
Mark inspired me and many of our Team members to feel the fear, get out of our comfort zone and complete the high wire activities on the afternoon of day one. I don't think we would have had the courage if it had not been for Mark's talk. He helped with the power of positive thinking.
Mark delivered a down to earth and very touching speech. There was relevance to our company vision and values and something in his speech that everyone could take away.
Mark was fantastic. His presentation and delivery was incredible and he was so flexible with our timings and easy to deal with. Loved him.
Excellent, engaging and heartfelt!
Mark was fantastic and really tailored his presentation to our brief. He was highly engaging and got a lot of positive feedback from the audience. He was very well organised, calling ahead prior to make sure we had everything we needed and arrived nice and early on the day.
Mark was very well prepared, and incorporated the themes and key messages from the briefing conversation very well. He was an exceptional facilitator.
Mark was excellent, he could not have done a better job. He was an absolute hit with our delegates, scoring the highest of all the sessions in our conference feedback form. I was most impressed with how he seamlessly integrated our organisation's new values into his presentation. This helped us to further introduce and reinforce these values, and really tied his presentation to the rest of the conference. Mark is a great guy and such a professional, as well as truly inspirational. In our feedback form, we collated scores and comments.
Mark has an amazing story and is a great storyteller. He is very nice to deal with and was more than happy to hang around with the clients for lunch afterwards which they really appreciated.
"We were impressed with how Mark incorporated our event theme into his talk and the way he tied it back to our goals and objectives as a company. He was awe inspiring and had us all hanging on every word he said. Mark was a talking point for our delegates for a long time after he left. A truly amazing man, he had everyone spellbound. Choosing Mark to talk to us helped to make our event even more memorable for those who attended."
