Alive

When hiking on a remote Australian island with his friend, Warren Macdonald ends up trapped beneath a boulder on a dry riverbed. It then begins to rain.

Do you think it was your mental attitude that enabled you to survive out there?

Yes and no. We're not born with a tough mental attitude. I think I survived because I'd conditioned myself to survive. After the years, I'd pushed myself continuously outside of my comfort zone, not just physically, but psychologically also. Yes I'd spent many years exploring wild places, but I also had no hesitation in going into business for myself. 'How hard could it be?' I'd ask myself before jumping in off the deep end and starting a painting business in another state.

The road to recovery can't have been easy to say the least. How long was it before you felt 'whole' again physically and mentally?

It's a process. Physically, I adapted quite quickly; I'd say within a couple of months I'd worked out how to get around in most situations. Over time, I have reached the point where I would say I am still working on being 'whole', and by that I mean fully tapping into the limitless potential that is within all of us; whether we have all of our limbs or not. The interesting point I have reached now is that most problems that arise for me these days have nothing to with having no legs; it's just the usual stuff we all deal with.

How has the experience changed you apart from the obvious injuries?

It's made me a stronger, better person. It gave me wake-up call that life is incredibly short and precious, as well as a reason to look deeper into what life is all about. In a nutshell, it has enabled me to take control of how I see the world, and a given me a vehicle to encourage others to do the same through my role as a speaker.

How often do you think about it?
I rarely think about the accident. I focus on moving forward.

How did you manage to stay positive in the weeks and months following your injury?

I had to. Sounds simple, but I took one look down into that deep, dark well of despair and thought 'I'm not going there'. I'm not saying I didn't get depressed, but I didn't allow myself to stay depressed. Instead I focussed on challenging myself. 'OK, you took away my legs. Let me see what I do without them.'

You say that in many ways you wouldn't go back and change things – can you explain what the experience and the injuries have given you?

I had to relearn how to do many things again. My balance was totally altered; I couldn't even sit up in the bathtub at first, so in a sense, I felt like an explorer after the accident. As an explorer, you get to see things with fresh eyes; there is no map, there is no set way that things have to be, so you aren't burdened by set rules and guidelines of this is how things are.

You get to make it up. In a sense, you get to create the reality you want to exist. It wasn't in my reality, or anyone else's for that matter, for a double above-knee amputee to climb frozen waterfalls. I had to create that.

Learning that we all have the power to create our own reality has been huge for me; something I wouldn't exchange now for my legs. The irony is, I know now that you don't have to lose your legs to learn how to create your own reality. I had to, but I was obviously a slow learner.

What outdoor activities are you involved in now?

I rock climb, ice climb and hike. I also sea kayak and do some skiing every year. I do a bit of handcycling as well just to stay in shape.

How has the experience affected your relationship with Geert?

We'd only just met when this happened, so we didn't really have a relationship apart from hitting it off and deciding to climb a mountain together. Now though, we went through something that not many people get to go through, and that has given us an incredible bond that will be there forever.

Do you have any advice for anyone who would like to explore the wilder parts of the world?

Just do it. Some people will call you irresponsible, but let's see if those same people lying on their death bed wish they had have spent more time at the office.