Jamie Andrew OBE
JAMIE ANDREW OBE
Mountaineering
Jamie Andrew is an astonishing individual; an unassuming hero who describes himself as an ordinary guy who just happens to have gone through extraordinary events.
In 1999, he survived for five days perched precariously on an icy ledge at the summit of an Alpine mountain while winds raged to 130 km per hour and temperatures plummeted to minus 30 degrees Celsius. Despite hypothermia and severe frostbite, Jamie was still conscious as he was snatched from the ledge by the French Mountain Rescue Services in a daring and spectacular rescue that arrived tragically only hours too late to save his climbing partner.
Jamie survived the ordeal, but at great personal cost. Ten days later his hands and his feet, damaged beyond repair by the frostbite, were amputated. Many, including some of the medical staff who had fought so hard to save him, felt that this was a fate worse than death. Amazingly, three months later, Jamie emerged from hospital, walking on prosthetic legs, having once again learnt to manage everyday tasks such as feeding, washing and dressing.
Jamie then defied all expectations by learning to ski, snowboard, sail and paraglide, running the London Marathon, and returning to climb once again in the mountains that he loves so much. He has since run more marathons, completed Iron Man triathlons and climbed many challenging mountains around the world, raising tens of thousands of pounds for charity in the process. In 2012, he was awarded the OBE for services to charity. His humble and unassuming manner, coupled with an unshakeable positive attitude towards life and its challenges, make Jamie an extraordinary example of bravery and determination.
Topics which Jamie covers in his presentations include:
Leadership – taking control and having the vision to motivate and inspire others.
Change Management – learning to value change and the opportunities it creates.
Motivation – focusing on the positive, achieving results and staying motivated.
Resilience – coping with setbacks, learning from mistakes, and moving forward.
Goal Setting – setting realistic and achievable short, mid and long term goals.
Teamwork – working with the strengths, working round the weaknesses.
Accepting Challenge – learning to see the difficulties we face as opportunities rather than obstacles.
Jamie’s input never fails to illicit a positive response from even the most sceptical of teenagers and Jamie firmly believes that having good outside speakers into a school can make a big difference in terms of inspiring students to go on and achieve their potential.