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Not a sound could
be heard in the packed auditorium at Wissahickon High
School in Ambler, Pennsylvania as Aron Ralston recounted
the excruciating details of his traumatic ordeal in Blue
John Canyon, Utah which began without warning on April
26, 2003. In a stunning and spellbinding delivery, Aron
passionately dedicated his presentation in memory of Kate
Svitek. By his own account, nature is a deep part of Aron
Ralston's spirituality and he has chosen to pay tribute
by helping to create ambassadors for the great outdoors.
He teamed with the Kate Svitek memorial Foundation to
share his vital message which is intrinsically tied to
the Foundations' Mission
After being trapped by a giant boulder for 6 days, and
near death, Aron managed to cut off his arm with a cheap
pocket knife and miraculously escape to safety. Aron's
stunning story left a powerful impression on the crowd,
many of whom traveled for hors to attend the event. His
understated and humble delivery filled the room with an
unspoken, but powerful spirituality. After the initial
shock of the accident in which Aron's arm was hopelessly
trapped, Aron knew that he had only four options for survival
--1) chipping away the rock, 2) implementation of a pulley
system to dislodge the boulder 3) waiting
for help in a totally remote canyon miles from civilization
or 4) using a knife to amputate his arm. He shared
his perspective on each of these bleak options, as the
days and hours of his captivity desperately ticked on.
He videotaped good bye messages to friends and family
as he prepared to die. |
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Several days in to his ordeal,
after all rational hope had faded, Aron described his
final hours of despair. After experiencing hallucinations,
he felt compelled, upon hearing a "voice", to
break his arm and use the dull knife to sever the limb.
Despite his critical medical condition, he managed to
climb out of the canyon and hike several miles where he
was discovered by Dutch tourists and rescued by helicopter.
The Foundation would like to extend its heartfelt appreciation
to Aron for personally sharing his potent message and
for providing critical support to the Foundation. Aron
was available to autograph his best selling book, "Between
a Rock and a Hard Place" after his presentation.
Below are some more pictures of the event. |
Presentation |
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Right: Introduction
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Right: With the
Svitek's |
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| Top: Introduction |
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Aron at Signing |
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Aron with one of many fans who were moved by his
presentation |
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