Tom Whittaker, son of a Welsh Army officer, was introduced to the world of rock climbing in his mid-twenties and has been very successful at it ever since. He's climbed El Capitan, the Matterhorn, and Alaska's Mt. McKinley.

In 1979, Tom lost his right kneecap and right foot when an out of control vehicle struck his car. Tom says now, "I wouldn't take my foot back if you gave it to me. This is who I am.") As tragic as it was, this accident didn't keep him from being active and encouraging people of all ability levels to enjoy recreational opportunities and outdoor adventures. To help him with that goal, in 1981 he founded of the Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group.

Tom Whittaker also never stopped pursuing his dream of climbing Mt. Everest. In 1989, wearing a prosthetic foot, which takes 30% more effort to climb on, Tom made his first attempt to summit Everest, climbing along Hillary's South Col trail. Whittaker reached 24,000 feet before bad weather forced him to turn back. During Whittaker's second attempt in 1995 he climbed along Everest's North Face This time he reached 27,500 ft., becoming the first disabled person to break the 8,000-meter elevation.

Finally, on May 27, 1998, at age 50, Tom Whittaker, leading his own expedition, reached the summit of Mt. Everest. His accomplishments remain a stunning inspiration to people with disabilities.

Since his return from Everest, Tom has founded a non-profit group called Windhorse Legacy, Even though Tom has summitted Everest, and created Windhorse Legacy, he's not done dreaming. His current goal is to become the first person to climb the highest summit on each of the seven continents.