Andes plane crash survivor Nando Parrado shares his harrowing story with Andy Farrell's Ireland squad
Beside Nando The Of Parrado: Sitting Plane Crash Survivors Fuselage The
Ireland’s rugby players have been afforded the chance to hear from a myriad of assorted guest speakers down the years. None came with a story quite like that of Nando Parrado who has addressed Andy Farrell’s squad ahead of the November internationals.
Parrado was one of 16 survivors of the Flight 571 crash in the Andes in October of 1972. It was Parrado and Roberto Canessa who finally managed to trek through the mountains for 10 days to find help after two months. 29 people passed away.
The story of the disaster, and the decisions they had to make to stay alive, has been immortalised in literature and on screen. Parrado has since gone on to a long and varied career as a businessman, motivational speaker, author and much more besides.
“He came and spoke to the group when we arrived in camp,” said Ireland assistant coach Simon Easterby. “Just an inspirational figure in terms of what he and his teammates went through. Terrible conditions.
“I didn’t realise… He was obviously one of 17 players on that flight but he also had his mother and his sister on the flight and he lost them in the accident. He spent two-and-a-half months trying to figure out a way of staying alive. It was really inspirational.”
Parrado and Canessa were players with the Old Christians rugby club in Montevideo and, while their experience on the mountains was a uniquely harrowing experience, the shared sporting experiences brought the story home even more vividly to the Irish players.
The Old Christians’s club crest is embellished with a green shamrock and Parrado was taught by Christian Brothers in school but the reality of what they went through on those snow-covered peaks was still hard to comprehend.
“Shock, I think? I don’t think they quite believed…” said Easterby when asked how the players reacted.
“Maybe a lot of people had seen the old ‘Alive’ film and there has been another more recent one made as well [but] until you hear from people who were actually there you don’t fully appreciate what they went through and how much they relied on each other and were able to work through some very tough times and come out the other side.
“Obviously they lost a lot of friends and family along the way but it was a pretty inspiring story.”
Other guest speakers and visitors to Ireland camps down the years have included everyone from Bono to Christy Moore, Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington, Sonia O’Sullivan and Henry Shefflin.
Ireland play the first of four November internationals on Friday week against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium.