Nirmal (Nims) Purja MBE
PGDip Security Management 2014
World record breaking mountaineer
Nims received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022 in recognition of his exceptional and inspiring career as a world record breaking mountaineer, his commitment to UNEP and the mountain community in Nepal.
Nims is the multi world record-breaking mountaineer who climbed all 14 of the world’s ‘Death Zone’ peaks over 8,000 m in just 6 months and 6 days. He led the first winter ascent of the ‘Savage Mountain’ K2. His Netflix film "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible" is out now, as is his best-selling book "Beyond Possible". Nims is a UNEP Mountain Advocate, a Global Goodwill Ambassador for Nepal Tourism and Founder of the charitable Nimsdai Foundation.
Born in Nepal, Nims had a distinguished 16-year military career, of which he spent six years as a Gurkha and 10 years with the UK Special Forces. He has since become a truly historic mountaineer, accumulating an ever-growing list of record-breaking summits alongside many high altitude rescue missions.
Growing up, Nims’ focus was to become a Gurkha in the British military. In 2003 that dream became a reality when he joined the Gurkhas. Six years later he became the first ever Gurkha to join the UK Special Boat Service (SBS) which, along with the SAS, is regarded as the most elite unit in the British military.
During this time, he developed an interest in mountaineering that quickly turned into a passion when he had his first trek to Everest Base Camp. It was throughout this military chapter of his life where he developed the skills to quickly evaluate situations, then act to ensure the welfare of others, balanced with delivering on the ultimate objective – an invaluable skill set that would transfer directly to his climbing career.
In 2019, he left the SBS to pursue a dream – a project so ambitious, nobody thought it was possible. "Project Possible" was born to break the record for climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks ("the 8000ers") in seven months.
His natural aptitude for expedition leadership and high altitude mountaineering had come to full maturity, truly proving his abilities on the world stage. Above all, he clearly demonstrated that with the right mindset, planning and team, all things are possible. He has been inspiring people of all ages, showing how a positive approach can lead to the most incredible achievements in life.