William Pike, a 22-year-old school teacher from Auckland, came to the attention of the nation on 25 September 2007 when, while tramping on Mt Ruapehu, he was critically injured during a volcanic eruption.
William was trapped inside the hut, surrounded by mud and rocks and in freezing temperatures, while his friend went for help. When the rescue team arrived he was suffering from such severe hypothermia he was not expected to survive. Defying the odds, William then spent two months in Waikato Hospital, at first fighting for his life as his kidneys and liver shut down, and then in slow, steady recovery. But, despite having had his lower right leg amputated, just barely keeping his left leg and facing yet more reconstruction surgery, William is philosophical about his life-altering injuries. He is determined to return to Mt Ruapehu within the next year to complete the six-day tramp that was cut short by the eruption.
William Pike's inspirational story begins with his trip to Nepal at the age of 12, which awakened his interest in outdoor pursuits of all kinds, and continues through his teens and early twenties as a mad-keen trampler, climber, surf-lifesaver and diver. William then retells his miraculous survival tale and reveals his plans for the future with infectious optimism and an approach to life that has remained intact - Every Day's A Good Day.
