The Lions Times

Dear fellow Lions,

I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of sending a short motivational story towards these wonderful days you have ahead.

Last year I had the chance to attend a conference

given by Nando Parrado (a survivor of the Andes 1972 plane crash) in London. The conference was very special and moving.

Fernando "Nando" Seler Parrado Dolgay (born December 9, 1949) is one of the sixteen Uruguayan survivors of the airplane crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 which crashed in the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972 (they were university students flying to Chile on a Rugby tour).

After spending two months trapped in the mountains with the other crash survivors

(and having eaten human flesh to keep themselves alive), he, along with Roberto Canessa, led the adventurous rescue team and climbed through the Andes mountains over a ten day period to finally find help. His efforts, supported in various ways by the entire group, have been recognized through books an

d other media. He was portrayed by Ethan Hawke in the 1993 feature film Alive: Miracle in The Andes.

Nando lost his mother and his sister in the crash.

In 2006 Nando published book, Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home. In addition to his current work in business and television, Parrado is a motivational speaker, using his experience in the Andes to help others cope with psychological trauma. He is married and has two sisters.

Citing Nando in one of the letters he wrote after the crash:

“…Before the crash my mind was filled with my studies in business administration, but as soon as I came back I found that I had to exchange my studies for everyday work. Our family business organization had nearly been destroyed, since my mother had taken care of half the work. When you are young, you feel immortal. There is nothing that can modify or destroy you. Through our painful experience I learned that life is linked to death, that these are the only realities of our existence. You are born and you will die someday… In between, nobody knows. There are some things I have thought deeply about over the years, my thoughts influenced by the Andes experience. I am sure it is the same for the other survivors. These things are: FAMILY, CONFIDENCE and FRIENDSHIP.

Dear Lions, I would like to point out that these three points are totally related to our experience in the Pyrenees; we leave our family for 5 days, we have the confidence that we will survive and have a great time, and most importantly, we will make a lot of friends, having an experience of camaraderie and creating a bond that will keep us connected forever. Referring to the specific point of FRIENDSHIP, Nando comments the following:

“…Finally there is the value of FRIENDSHIP, of our feeling of affection and love. It was deeply moving to see young boys helping their friends in ways they could not have imagined, even risking and giving their lives for each other. Friendship was a major factor in our chances to survive and, after we managed to rescue ourselves, we made our friendship with each other an important part of our lives. Sometimes I ask myself why people need to experience extreme situations to understand the real values of life. These values are so clear and so near us, yet we rush by them looking for the “important” things…”

I have some personal commitments that imply I will be missing the Lions 2011. I will be looking forward to the Lions 2012, hopefully with many of you. I will have you in mind in my prayers. God will be with your “silent Partner” during the toughest moments of the expedition.

All the best!

Matias Dorr Mansilla

A lion of the Pyrenees