Just got back from London having gone last night to watch Bear Grylls interview Sir Ranulph Fiennes about his life in the Royal Festival Hall.
It was a really interesting evening and I found it quite inspirational. To listen to his story of a heart attack on the ascent to the summit of Everest where they only way to help was a three day trek down. Another heart attack struck on a flight that was seconds from take off, he was defibrillated on the tarmac and then had heart bypass surgery to then go on and run 7 marathons in 7 days in 7 continents just 3MONTHS later. 😳 and finally the story of the cutting off of his frostbitten fingers in the garden shed had everyone squirming in their seats. He came across as a very humble unassuming man with a quick wit and a indefatigable spirit.
I said to my husband I feel braver and more courageous from just listening to him. It was a much needed tonic after a rough few weeks 😊
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Kellyjelly
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That really is inspirational suppose it’s telling us as we have no choice with this horrible condition we may as well get on with it .Easier some days than others I know but does make you think xx
Just had a look and there is some really good interviews with him telling all the stories I heard last night. I wish I knew how to put the link here but I’m rubbish at that sort of stuff
Don't worry I found the youtube interviews! If only I can figure out now how to get the speakers working on my computer which for some reason went silent today
Will wait for my husband to get back from work as I'm also "rubbish" in electronics.
Also faridaro he has raised £18 million for charity and said last night he would like to make that £20million before he dies. For one man to achieve that as well as everything else, brilliant. Sorry I probably sound like his stalker haha, I’m just feeling really inspired and I’m so glad I went 😊
wow, that's amazing. Bear Grylls impresses me too.
Mmmm. Don’t know whether I would prefer to have bypass over af . Haven’t read about to many mountaineers still climbing with af. I have af and was a climber, not sure of the future
Thanks for the reply, that must be hard to not be able to do something you love. I’m not suggesting in any way that people with AF could climb mountains with a different mindset. i just drew inspiration from his achievements and his courage in the face of adversity and life’s challenges.
This mountaineering stuff is dead easy. All you have to do is buy all the trendy gear, expensive 4 season boots, get up early in the morning, chuck your [insert brand name here} bag full of hydration kit and be very careful to make sure you don't catch it on the ski lift door.
I find the Austrian mountains to be particularly challenging . The amount of food and drink that has to eaten in order to support the poor starving natives who are forced to live in rickety mountain huts quite difficult. Descending from mountains is always risky and is made even more difficult after helping the poor natives to drink some of their quaint mountain potions while 8.000 feet up where the air is rareified.
Always remember there are old mountaineers and bold mountaineers, but not many old, bold mountaineers.
Perhaps it was Alta Adige (north Italy). I went there for a healthy weekend, having walked so far and used the chair lift, it was really invigorating, we then stopped at every "mountain hut" we came accross to "try" the local dishes, cheeses and Grappa & wine. Bang went my healthy weekend!
Ah yes, they are all very poor. So poor that they have to walk round in cow skin trousers which have to last them for the rest of their lives, with a few panels sown in every now and again. The ladies have to wear long flowing dresses, carefully sown together so that they can collect as much vitamin D on their chests as possible in order to make the most of the summer.
Indeed after the 4pm thunderstorm they all rush out to wipe the paint drops off their very old Mercedes motor cars in case they go rusty, unlike the swiss who just buy a new car if theirs get wet.
just had my ablation three months ago and once my husband who has just had three heart attacks and had a kidney out is well enough we will be going to Austria to visit my relatives and light the candle on my grandmothers grave in memory of my mum who made this journey every year. I visit this sight and give my input to help others as they have helped me and I do not find your comments funny, or relevant.Anyone wanting to visit this beautiful country, might want to know that the alpine air is a wonderful help for anyone with breathing problems, also I was taken to Klagenfurt hospital with a severe attack of svt whilst on holiday there and found the staff wonderful, and treatment great.
I’m so sorry that this has offended you. I really am not trying to be disrespectful at all by laughing at the comments from Ianc2. I really don’t think that anything bad was meant by it, it just seemed like a silly story, a bit of nonsense.
It sounds like you have been through a lot and the visit to Austria is a very personal and emotional trip for you and your family. Please accept my apologies and wishing you and your husband a speedy recovery so you can go and see your family soon
Thank you sooooo much that means a lot. I am sure you will find this site very helpful, I have. Here is looking forward to a healthy summer for all of us. Don’t get me wrong I think that one of the best medicines is to have a good laugh, I liked it when you were trying to get your camera right for your profile picture when you could only get the top of your head lol. Me I am having trouble even getting that, bit of practice and I might eventually get my profile piccy up. I agree going to Austria it is a personal thing and will be very emotional , just don’t need to start my heart racing by being annoyed about comments that are not necessary, this was definately not your fault but thanks so much for your kind words, Ursula x
My apologies. The comments were meant to give people who visit this site a bit of light relief. I go to Austria quite a lot for walking holidays and It is a wonderful country and the Air and the Water is clear and invigorating and very enjoyable. No offence was intended.
When my daughter (who has 'funny turns' wrongly diagnosed as epilepsy at the time) went to uni she joined the mountaineering club, assuring me it was because they did the best food and she would not be climbing anything. Of course she was lying as I found out when her friend fell down a mountain and was killed 😱
Just as a matter of interest he is a cousin of Lord and Lady Fiennes who live here in Broughton Castle Banbury and their is a school of thought that the old nursery rhyme Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross to see a Fine Lady on a white horse was based on their ancestors the 'fine' being spelt 'Fienne' originally. Nothing to do with AF but thought you might like to know!😁
Back in the late 90’s i ‘employed’ (made a contribution to his charity) Ranulph Fiennes to present his remarkable inspirational, story to one of my clients’ team of sales brokers. I was impressed listening to him and his take on leadership and teamwork; the audience of insurance brokers and saleswomen and men who had sat through many other motivational presentations were completely won over. The client some while later said that it was probably the most successful, best value for money presentation the company had ever had and there was, to his mind, a noticable improvement in the attitude and cooperation among his staff. A strong but humble man with a great story to tell.
What an interesting story, thank you for sharing that. I’m not surprised at all that he went down so well with everyone and you are right he is incredibly humble and has a brilliant sense of humour.
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Never ending atrial flutter/afib
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Travel insurance : a story.
New to AF, worried about anticoagulants 
