Warren Macdonald
Encyclopedia
Warren Macdonald is an Australia
n environmentalist
, explorer, mountain climber, motivational speaker
, and writer
.
In April 1997 Warren Macdonald was climbing on Hinchinbrook Island
, Northern Australia
when a giant boulder fell on his legs. Warren survived the accident thanks to Geert van Keulen, a Dutch
traveller Warren had met the day before, who raced down the mountain for help. He spent two days out in the open and both his legs were amputated
at the thigh.
Ten months later, Warren climbed Cradle Mountain
, Tasmania, Australia using a modified wheelchair
and the seat of his pants. A year later he climbed Federation Peak
in Tasmania, Australia. In February 2003 he became the first double-above knee amputee to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
in Tanzania
, Africa's tallest peak. More recently he climbed El Capitan
in Sierra Nevada, California, United States
and the Weeping Wall in Alberta
, Canada
.
Macdonald has written a book called A Test of Will. He told the story of the accident on Discovery Channel
's programme I Shouldn't Be Alive
. The episode title is Crushed under a boulder.
He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
and Australia
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
, explorer, mountain climber, motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
In April 1997 Warren Macdonald was climbing on Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island lies east of Cardwell and north of Lucinda, Queensland Australia. Hinchinbrook Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and wholly protected within the Hinchinbrook Island National Park, except for a small resort. It is the largest island on the Great Barrier Reef...
, Northern Australia
Northern Australia
The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...
when a giant boulder fell on his legs. Warren survived the accident thanks to Geert van Keulen, a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
traveller Warren had met the day before, who raced down the mountain for help. He spent two days out in the open and both his legs were amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
at the thigh.
Ten months later, Warren climbed Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Rising to 1,545 metres above sea level it is one of the principal tourist sites in Tasmania, owing to its natural beauty...
, Tasmania, Australia using a modified wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
and the seat of his pants. A year later he climbed Federation Peak
Federation Peak
Federation Peak is a prominent mountain located in the Southwest National Park of Tasmania, Australia. The peak, 90 km from Hobart, was named after the Federation of Australia and is often described as one of the hardest Bushwalking challenges in Australia.-History:The first westerner to...
in Tasmania, Australia. In February 2003 he became the first double-above knee amputee to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Africa's tallest peak. More recently he climbed El Capitan
El Capitan
El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith extends about from base to summit along its tallest face, and is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers.The formation was...
in Sierra Nevada, California, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Weeping Wall in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Macdonald has written a book called A Test of Will. He told the story of the accident on Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's programme I Shouldn't Be Alive
I Shouldn't Be Alive
I Shouldn't Be Alive is a documentary television series that airs on multiple networks in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Australia, India and Pakistan...
. The episode title is Crushed under a boulder.
He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.