Aron Ralston, who made news in 2003 for amputating his own arm in order to survive a rock climbing accident, will speak at UW-Madison Wednesday as part of Wisconsin Union Directorate’s distinguished lecture series.
Ralston is an American canyoneer, author and public figure who motivates audiences with his story of survival.
Canyoneering is an outdoor sport consisting of rock climbing, hiking and swimming through canyons.
While canyoneering in Utah in 2003, an accident caused Ralston to become wedged between a boulder and the canyon wall.
Five days and eight hours after becoming stuck, Ralston amputated his own right arm with a dull pocket knife in a last resort attempt to survive.
After the accident, he wrote a book titled “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” documenting his experience, which inspired the recent box-office film “127 Hours.”
Since the accident, Ralston continues to rock climb and motivates audiences with lectures about perseverance and the will to live.
He will speak at the event, which is free and open to the public, at 7:30 p.m. in Union South’s Varsity Hall.
