 NORMAN
CROUCHER OBE
Despite
having two
artificial
legs following
a railway
accident,
Norman Croucher
decided to
seek adventure
in the mountains.
Now, whether
you require
an amusing
lunchtime
or evening
entertainment
or an outstanding
motivational
talk at a
conference,
you can share
in his experiences.
Alongside
people such
as round-the-world
yachtsman
Chay Blyth
and the World
Motor Racing
Champion,
Jackie Stewart,
Norman was
chosen as
a "Man
of the Year"
in 1971 and
again in 1978,
with Jimmy
Saville and
Brendan Foster.
In 1989, with
Falklands
veteran Simon
Weston, he
received a
special Men
of the Year
award for
continued
achievement
in celebration
of the thirtieth
anniversary
of the scheme.
In 1979 he
was chosen
from nominees
from 121 countries
as one of
only three
people in
the world
to receive
an International
Award for
Valour in
Sport that
year. Chris
Bonington
wrote of him
"There
is no one
like him,
his extraordinary
achievements
have earned
him a place
in climbing
history".
Norman's
training for
serious climbing
began 1969
when he walked
900 miles
from John
O'Groats to
Land's End,
alone and
often in pain.
He climbed
a score of
mountains
in the Alps
including
the Matterhorn,
the Eiger
and western
Europe's highest,
Mont Blanc.
In 1978, he
led a very
successful
expedition
of eight people
to the Peruvian
Andes, where
they climbed
mountains
of 16,798
feet, 18,870
feet and the
north summit
of Peru's
highest mountain,
Huascaran,
21,830 feet.
In 1981 he
reached the
top of his
first Himalayan
peak, White
Needle in
Kashmir. The
same year,
on an expedition
in Argentina,
he seemed
at first faced
with disaster
when his left
artificial
leg broke.
Yet, on one
leg, he set
out to climb
a mountain
of 16,801
feet! A year
later he returned
to Argentina,
and reached
the summit
of Aconcagua,
the highest
of the Andes.
That year,
he also became
one of only
two Britons
to have climbed
Muztagh Ata
in China.
His companion
became ill
and snow-blind
and their
descent in
bad weather
makes a very
interesting
tale.
More recently,
he has climbed
Kilimanjaro
in Tanzania
(not the easy
way), Cotopaxi
in Ecuador,
Mount Kenya,
Alpamayo in
Peru and Europe's
highest, Elburs
in the USSR.
All of this
has required
considerable
organisation,
including
raising sponsorship,
and as a Cornishman
he regards
his best fund-raising
achievement
as clinching
a deal with
a scrumpy
cider manufacturer
whose motto
is "Legless
but Smiling"!
Norman has
lectured to
a wide variety
of audiences
of up to three
and a half
thousand people,
all over the
British Isles
and in places
as far apart
as Denmark,
Belgium, Monte
Carlo, Nice,
Guernsey and
Kenya. Humorous,
interesting,
motivational
- always entertaining.
Norman’s
experiences
as an Expedition
Leader are
only a small
segment of
the sotry.
For many years
he has been
involved in
campaigns,
national and
local which
have involved
teamwork,
runaway children,
drug addicts,
adventure
sports, sports
for people
with disabilities,
employment,
itegration
and access
for disabled
people
Some Comments:
"We were
absolutely
enthralled...you
had your audience
spellbound...we
were all delighted...an
excellent
evening, a
marvellous
experience
...OBE stands
for Our Best
Ever!...interesting,
imaginative
and amusing,
a great credit
to you...such
a splendid
presentation...we
so much enjoyed
your sense
of humour...100%
of our ladies
can't wait
for you to
visit again...your
talk was voted
quite the
finest and
most popular...yours
was only the
second standing
ovation in
the history
of the society...you
were superb!".
"He is
the funniest
motivational
speaker"
- Director
magazine
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