Aron Ralston was, until 2003, an obscure Colorado mountain climber whom few outside of the mountaineering community had ever heard of. That all changed in April of that year, when Ralston, hiking through Utah's Bluejohn Canyon, became famous for the worst reason possible: a boulder lodged his right arm against a canyon wall, trapping him there for days and forcing him to cut through his own arm, bones and all, with a dull pocketknife in order to free himself.

The incident got him a book deal (Between a Rock and a Hard Place) and would later lead to him being depicted by James Franco in the Academy Award-nominated film 127 Hours.

Ralston has gone on to become a motivational speaker and, though he now only has one arm, continues his career as a mountaineer, with a view toward summiting many of the world's highest and/or most difficult peaks. He also continues to advocate for individuals with disabilities, encouraging them to get into nature and do all of the things that able-bodied people do in the outdoors. Along the way, he's learned some harsh lessons about safety, relationships, and his own mortality.