Tom Whittaker
Mountaineer
1948 –
Who is Tom Whittaker?
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 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 appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire. Tom currently lives in Prescott Arizona with his daughter, Georgia.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- 1948
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Education
- Idaho State University
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Tom Whittaker." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/tom_whittaker_1949>.
Discuss this Tom Whittaker biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In