thanks to tami - CLIMBER OVERCOME head injury at TOTEM POLE

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neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 13, 2008 - 01:56am PT
hey there all... say, in light of me sharing my head injury awareness books, TAMI has shared a very serious link:

I HAVE USED a difffernt page than she had share with lynne and me on the supertopo reading post--you should scroll DOWN and read the ACCOUNT that paul shares about this newest book (you will the totem pole, in black and white, after you scroll down) (you will see those that come to hear him speak on his books, as well)
HERE IS THE LINK:
http://paulpritchard.com.au/diary/index.php


the man's name is paul pritchard, and he was hit by a "computer monitor size" block, while climbing the totem pole in tasmania (back in 1998, ON FEB 13) (you will see it at this link)...

i though that in view of bobby models recent injury about one year ago, and micah retz' diving injury, that seeing what this man has worked his way through, would surely do many folks much good to stop and think about the amazing tenacity one can have to overcome "ones own self" after trauma changes ones life forever.... the kind of overcoming, where one can still be oneself--though in a "different" mode....

if one just does not give up....

a tramatic feat, in its own, sometimes....


say, tami... you found a real diamond of a share here... i hope you dont mind that i am posting on it here, for all to see.....

i needed to see this, too, and i will share it with as many as i can...

god bless, to paul, whereever you are speaking, or traveling at this monent in time...
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
Sep 13, 2008 - 02:04am PT
you should send a free copy to him, of one of your books.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 13, 2008 - 02:26am PT
hey there bluering.. say, maybe so... you never know... but if you have read some of the excerpts from his book... oh, my... he may not want to read any more such stories, as he has walked them out already... (plus, i would have to save up for my rent first) :)

i did write him a note, and told him how wonderful it is for him to share his story with folks around the world... someone may be in dire need of getting an encouraging story to step out into life again...

say here is a link of many places that he has been:
http://paulpritchard.com.au/gallery.htm
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 13, 2008 - 02:30am PT
hey there bluering and others.. say,
he was at indian creek, once, and at mount lemmon arizona... who knows, some one HERE at this site may have met him at some time...

he is from england, originally...
HERE IS THE HOME SITE LINK:
http://www.paulpritchard.com.au/index.htm

NOTE AS TO WHO PAUL IS:
"Pritchard was born in Bolton, Lancashire, in 1967 and, at age 16 began a life of climbing. After a couple of years trawling the Lancashire quarries he soon moved to North Wales and that Mecca of rock climbing, Llanberis. By 1986 Paul was climbing the top grade of the day. He began a life of mountaineering that would take him to the Indian Himalaya, the Pakistani Karakorum, Patagonia, Baffin Island, The Pamirs, the European Alps and the American Rockies."


oh say:
just saw this:
in 1994, he was in yosemite...
Zodiac (A3) and the first ascent of Adrift (1000m, 5.10 A4) both on El Capitan, Yosemite, California.
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Sep 13, 2008 - 02:36am PT
Wow, what an incredible story. The mans picture alone tells a story. Inspiring in a sad kinda way. I wonder if we could get him to post here.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 13, 2008 - 02:36am PT
hey there wayno, say, i was wondering the same thing too...

here is a link of his life-climbing and the years:
http://www.paulpritchard.com.au/future.htm
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Sep 13, 2008 - 02:46am PT
Ola neebee, como estas miha? I briefly checked out his website. It looks like you or I could send him an email...
I think I would like to read his book first though.


Live Upfull
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 13, 2008 - 02:52am PT
hey there wayno... ola! ...yep, say, as that would be the very polite thing to do... :)

i did send a "general type note" ... perhaps you never know, he may email me back....
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 13, 2008 - 12:53pm PT
hey there ...

bump for the weekend, so folks can learn about patrick's climbing life... and, about his new victory in life, since then....
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
Sep 13, 2008 - 11:25pm PT
Hey Hoser Girl,

Thanks for the link, a good read. I am certainly familiar with the name "Paul Pritchard" as a one-time avid reader of Mountain Mag Info. I had no idea that he was seriously disabled thus.

Was he knott wearing a helmet?

My mom, who is about to turn 89, is now hemiplegic as a result of a stroke. Fortunately, it was her left arm that was mostly affected, and she is a righty so she can still write. It is difficult but not impossible for her to walk, although I fear that now that she is home being cared for by my dad, and not getting her daily therapy walks, that she might not get enough walking in.

Anyway, best regards to Paul. Incidentally, I see he is now a "leftie" - like me. Was that his original configuration, or did he have to relearn?
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 14, 2008 - 01:15am PT
hey there tami... wow... say, i was hoping you would show up here, as i was wanting to ask you how you learned about him....

say, i may write again... i did send a short email... not sure if there is a writing address... say, i can now tell how it was you that shared about his website... i had just mentioned a rock climging site....

say, i was so very happy that he was married and had a daughter, as it was sad to learn that the girlfriend that worked so very hard to save his life, had decided to part ways with him....

it is something that has happened often, though, when someone get so severly disabled... it is hard for the "at time parter" to go through the stop, wait and heal, accept it, or face it all for any possible future affetcs on their own lives (not meaning that as insults, just that it is common)...
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 14, 2008 - 06:25pm PT
hey there tami... oh my, say, this is a wonderful recovery of life... i was amazed at all the places he had gone, too...

the whole thing is one fantastic healing process.... it makes your heart really cry and wish that others had such goals of healing met, as well...

folks just dont understand, though, the tremendous work that it took your friend paul to climb the "hardest climb of his life"...

wow, tami.. thanks so very kindly for sharing all this at lynne's supertopo book thread or i would never have learned such a victory that came to this climber...

thanks, tami, once again, thanks for sharing...
there are far too many folks with such injury that never make the climb back... some dont even have loved ones to cheer them on... say, a few extra prayer to the "unknown folks out there" at night, sure can't hurt, huh... :)
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