Biography Of Fernando Seler Parrado

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Fernando Seler Parrado was born December 9, 1949. He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. His parents were Seler and Eugenia Parrado. Fernando’s nickname was Nando. He was the second of three children, with an older sister, Graciela, and a younger sister, Susana, or Susy. Nando graduated from Stella Maris College and he played for their alumni rugby team, Old Christians Club. After graduating, he decided to enroll in a university. He decided to enroll in an agricultural school, but his father made him change his mind and talked him into entering business. His life would soon change on the day of October 13, 1972, when the plane he was on crashed.
On October 13, 1972, Fernando’s life would soon change while on a plane with teammates, friends, and family. The plane was carrying the Old Christians Club rugby union team from Montevideo, Uruguay, to play a match in Santiago, Chile. The plane was carrying forty five people in total. On the day of the crash, the weather was very bad. The pilots started to descend without knowing where they were because they were above the clouds. This was a very dangerous mistake. The pilots did not take into consideration that strong winds may have slowed the plane. As a result, the pane would clip a peak which would severe the right wing. The wing of the plane then cut through the back of the plane leaving a hole. The plane then clipped a second peak which would severe the left wing. The plane then slid down a mountain, and then came to rest at the bottom of the mountain. When, the plane crashed, more than a quarter of the passengers died. One person that died was Nando’s mother, Eugenia. This would have an effect on Nando for the rest of his life. Out of the forty five that remain...

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... Two days later, all of the survivors were rescued from the crashed plane.
After the plane crash, Nando’s life would change. He would speak publically about what happened and would later write a book called, Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home. After he returned, he would also give up his studies. Nando would be “under the weather” because he was coping with the loss of his sister and his mother. He would work in his father’s hardware store, and he would develop the love for racing so he became a race car driver. After getting married, he would give up race car driving and become a co-owner of his father’s hardware store. He has also become a motivational speaker. He uses his experience in the Andes as an example to help others cope with psychological trauma. This is how Nando’s life would change after the plane crash.

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