Man behind ‘127 Hours’ movie speaks at local Suncoast event

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Aaron Ralston, the inspiration behind the blockbuster film ‘127 Hours’ gave a motivational speech at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota on Thursday May 12.

Ralston had to sever his arm in order to survive after a solo descent of Blue John Canyon in southeastern Utah. A dislodged boulder pinned Ralston’s wrist to the side of the canyon and after five days he had to make a life-changing decision. Ralston had to break his forearm so that he could amputate his arm in order to break free.

His story inspired a movie adaption that featured James Franco and received an Oscar nomination in the movie “127 Hours”.

Since then, Ralston has become a motivational speaker and he has an autobiography titled “Between a Rock and a Hard Place”.

Ralston has continued mountaineering and is the first person to scale all of Colorado’s fourteeners solo in winter.