Hutchinson Community College
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Trapped alone in a Utah canyon for nearly a week and pinned by a half-ton boulder Aron Ralston had to choose between his hand and his life. He chose survival — amputating his own limb, rappelling 65 feet and hiking seven miles to rescue.
Ralston will bring his amazing, inspirational story home to Hutchinson at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 26 when he appears as part of the Dillon Lecture Series at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Ralston's heroic story is the subject of the film "127 Hours," starring James Franco and directed by Oscar-winning Danny Boyle. Boyle's film, based on Ralston's 2004 New York Times bestselling autobiography, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place," received six Oscar nominations, including "Best Picture."
Following a miraculous rescue spearheaded by his mom and with the aid of prosthetics he helped design, Aron returned to his outdoor passions, completing elite mountaineering projects which remain unrepeated even to this day. Attendees credit Ralston's story with encouraging them through disease, disability, and loss, even saving their lives from suicide and depression.
Aron's incredible triumph in the face of insurmountable odds inspires audiences to harness the power of their deepest motivations, relationships, and mindset to transform personal and professional "boulders" into their blessings. Today, Ralston continues to pursue high-altitude adventures, advocates for wilderness protection and tries to keep up with his two spirited children, Leo and Elisabetta.
Tickets to the lecture will be available beginning at 9:45 a.m. the day of the lecture at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Ralston will appear at a press conference for members of the media prior to the lecture. The press conference is scheduled at 9:45 a.m. in the Media Interview Room of the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
2023 is the 42nd season for the Dillon Lecture Series on the HutchCC Campus. For more information on the Dillon Lecture Series or to become a patron, visit www.hutchcc.edu/dls or call Becky Rogers at 620-665-3505.
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