Outdoorsman Aron Ralston of 127 Hours Speaks at W&L
The Contact Committee and the Outing Club at Washington and Lee University will present Aron Ralston and the real-life story behind the movie “127 Hours.” He will speak on Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Keller Theater in Lenfest Hall. The doors will open at 7 p.m. The talk is free and open to the public.
There will be a screening of “127 Hours” in the Stackhouse Theater, W&L University Commons, on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 4 p.m.
There also will be members of the Contact Committee answering questions about the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, Wednesday, Oct. 31 and Thursday, Nov. 1 in the Commons. They will be giving out Contact cups and koozies and Outing Club stickers and holding a raffle for free signed copies of Ralston’s book, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place.”
An experienced climber and avid outdoorsman, Ralston was descending a remote Utah canyon alone when an 800-lb. boulder broke loose, crushing his right hand and pinning him against the canyon wall. After nearly five days — without water and with no hope of escape — Ralston made a life-or-death decision. He chose life by severing his arm below the elbow, rappelling a 65-foot cliff out of the canyon and trekking seven miles to find help.
Ralston documented his life-altering experience in The New York Times best-selling memoir, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” which has been adapted for the big screen by Danny Boyle, the Academy Award-winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire.” The film stars James Franco as Ralston, and his performance, as well as the movie, have been nominated for numerous awards.
As an inspirational speaker, Ralston moves audiences with his unforgettable story. An ordinary man pushed to the limits, Ralston demonstrates the human capacity for the extraordinary. He describes his riveting journey in which courage and perseverance defy the inevitable outcome.
An experienced climber and avid outdoorsman, Ralston was descending a remote Utah canyon alone when an 800-lb. boulder broke loose, crushing his right hand and pinning him against the canyon wall. After nearly five days — without water and with no hope of escape — Ralston made a life-or-death decision. He chose life by severing his arm below the elbow, rappelling a 65-foot cliff out of the canyon and trekking seven miles to find help.
Ralston documented his life-altering experience in The New York Times best-selling memoir, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” which has been adapted for the big screen by Danny Boyle, the Academy Award-winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire.” The film stars James Franco as Ralston, and his performance, as well as the movie, have been nominated for numerous awards.
As an inspirational speaker, Ralston moves audiences with his unforgettable story. An ordinary man pushed to the limits, Ralston demonstrates the human capacity for the extraordinary. He describes his riveting journey in which courage and perseverance defy the inevitable outcome.
News Contact:
Julie Cline
News Writer
jcline@wlu.edu
540-458-8954
