Redefining what it means to be “disabled” Warren’s mission is to help us change the way we see the world, and our place in it. With an emphasis on the wilderness as a baseline for reconnecting with who we really are, Warren shares his experiences of being footless and fancy free; from Yosemite to South Georgia; from Tanzania to the Rockies.

Warren Macdonald
Warren Macdonald is on a mission to help you change the way you see the world, and your place in it. A committed environmentalist, back in the time when “mental” held more weight within the word than “enviro”, his claim to fame was being cut out from beneath a D9 bulldozer; with an angle grinder….

Warren’s life was redefined in April 1997 with an accident on North Queensland’s (Australia) Hinchinbrook Island. Climbing to the Islands tallest peak, he became trapped beneath a one-ton slab of stone in a freak rock fall. Two days later he was rescued, only to undergo the amputation of both his legs at mid thigh….

Just ten months later, he climbed Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain using a modified wheelchair and the seat of his pants.

In the years following Warren has made ascents of Africa’s Mt Kilimanjaro (via the Umbwe route), The Weeping Wall (central pillar route) in the Canadian Rockies, and El Capitan (Tangerine Trip). Three of his expeditions have been made into films, the most notable being “The Second Step” which to date has been awarded eight international awards. Warren’s first book “A Test of Will” is an Australian and Canadian best seller.

He’s been featured on the Discovery Channel’s unfortunately named series “I Shouldn’t be Alive” and appeared on Oprah and Larry King Live. In 2000 he received the “Spirit of Adventure” award from Australian Geographic, and in 2007 the “Star of Hope” award from The Colombian Centre for Integrated Rehabilitation.

Warren lives in Winlaw BC with his partner Margo Talbot (also presenting at VIMFF on Saturday, February 21, at the Centennial Theatre).

 For more on Warren go to www.warren-macdonald.com.