Surviving Mountains And Molehills.

“I wouldn’t have my arms and legs back if you were to offer me them, this is who I am now.” Remarkable words from Jamie Andrew; a father, a husband, an avid mountaineer and a quadruple amputee.

In 1999 he, and his best friend Jamie Fisher, tackled Les Droites, in the French Alps. Unknown to them, this was going to be a climb like no other. A relentless storm left the pair trapped on the mountain for five gruelling days. Despite having his arms and legs amputated once he was rescued, due to severe hypothermia, Jamie Andrew describes himself as the “lucky one”. Jamie Fisher was not so lucky. He spent his last days alive trapped, feeling scared and in pain. Whilst his best friend Jamie Andrew could do nothing but watch as he died in front of his eyes.

Twenty years on from this traumatic event, Jamie Andrew now travels the world as a motivational speaker, telling his story to inspire people to overcome smaller, everyday challenges. Many people, myself included, find it difficult to stay positive when life trips us up and lets us down so I met up with Jamie to get his take on surviving mountains and molehills.

We met in a small coffee shop in Edinburgh and as Jamie entered it struck me that he wouldn’t have a hand to shake. It was something I had never had to consider before, I didn’t want to be rude and not put out my hand, but I also didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. With a huge grin on his face and a confidently extended arm, it became clear that Jamie didn’t do social awkwardness, and once over my molehill, we moved on to his mountains.

After facing death and losing all his limbs, Jamie taught himself how to walk using prosthetic legs, in three and a half months. I asked him what he thought was the catalyst for the speedy recovery, he explained, "always have small goals, know that every little failure you have is a learning experience.”

Jamie would wake up and tackle each day as it came, whether that was learning to take his first step or re-teaching himself how to use cutlery, he would be realistic, making it easier for him to stay positive and make progress. He reminded me that: “what I’ve learned applies to everybody”. He meant by setting small goals, even if that is to simply make your bed in the morning you have achieved something. As a society, we are too good at beating ourselves up and telling ourselves we are not good enough, just because we haven’t made enough money yet or we haven’t secured that dream job. Stop worrying about the future and take each day as it comes.

We were halfway through our interview when Jamie’s coffee and toast arrived, and on the plate were little packets of spreadable butter, something that I, with all my fingers and thumbs, find quite fiddly. As I wondered if I should offer to help, I raised the question of what has been the biggest challenges he’s had to face since losing his arms and legs. He laughed as he bit the corner of the packet of butter trying to pry it open with his teeth, and jokingly said "for the recording, I’m just trying to open one of these little packets of butter… with my teeth. They are one of the most annoying things to do”. It was a small action but a vivid insight into the way he handled an everyday challenge with ease and humour. I explained I was unsure whether to offer help or not, but he politely replied “thanks but no”.

Following that, I asked if he had learned when to ask for help, which is something we all can struggle with, possibly because we don’t want to seem like a burden. “It is hard especially for a proud person like me, but actually it brings you closer to people when you can help each other. The main thing is to speak… I think I’ve learned over the years when to ask for help”. Jamie’s experiences make him seem like Superman but his humanity is what makes him special, he is strong and he is determined but he knows that, “we all need a good support system” and sometimes we do need to lean on those around us when times get hard.

Jamie chatted about his children and their career choices, and I asked him if he would be wary about letting his children do any dangerous sports after what happened to him. He said, "although they are not interested in dangerous sports, they may choose a more artistic career which can also have its risks. I think that taking risks is important in life, and you have to do it to push yourself and to achieve your full potential.” Like me I’m sure this will hit home for many people, it is sensible to avoid risk, but we need to remain open to new, positive experiences.

Jamie, forever the risk-taker has not let his lack of limbs hinder him or stop him from doing what he loves. He has managed to perfect his skiing technique and to this day he is still climbing huge mountains, one of his achievements being the Matterhorn (a mountain in the Alps that has a near-vertical peak). Jamie boldly stated, "challenges we face are just 95% mental. So missing hands and feet are really quite trivial”. I must remind my college friends and I that, as we moan about climbing our five flights of stairs to get to class.

“I find the positive in every situation”, is something that Jamie said which I have tried to take on board in my everyday life. Don’t get me wrong, it’s difficult and we are all going to have days where we mope and complain about life's annoyances, we’re human. However, after meeting a man who has watched his friend die in front of him and learned how to do everything again from scratch, I think I can now manage to make my bed, set myself goals and lead a more positive life. The next time you are feeling low or lost, if you don’t get the exam results you wanted, or you didn’t get that job you were desperate for, remember Jamie Andrews’ approach to his mountains and molehills.