A Derbyshire mountaineer who suffered severe frostbite injuries gave an inspirational talk to pupils at St Joseph’s Catholic Voluntary Academy as part of an innovative programme.

Nigel Vardy’s toes, fingers and nose had to be amputated in 1999 after he faced temperatures of -60 ˚C on Mount McKinley in Alaska.

Mr Vardy (pictured right at St Joseph’s) uses his experiences of rescue, recovery and a return to mountaineering as a motivational speaker and is sometimes known as ‘Mr Frostbite’.

He visited St Joseph’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, in Chesterfield Road, Matlock, to talk to pupils about his experiences, never giving up and resilience.

The talk was part of a programme run by the school called Resilience Reaps Rewards, designed to strengthen resilience, improve behaviour and build positive attitudes.

Pupil Romi, 7, said: “What happened to him was really scary. He showed us his frostbite photos of his toes and fingers which were dark blue. They used some of the skin from his forehead to rebuild his nose. He talked to us about empowerment and being determined. I asked him how he does his shoelaces up and he said he was determined to do it and practised and practised.”

Pupil Autumn, 8, said: “I thought his talk was really good. He talked to us about being resilient and being ourselves and about never giving up. He told us not to close our eyes, if there’s a problem then we have to think about how to fix it. He also said to us to keep on learning like a child, he said not to lose that.”

Headteacher Stacey Carr said: “We were honoured to welcome the incredible Nigel Vardy to support the first topic of our Resilience Reaps Rewards programme: Heroes.

“Nigel’s story is nothing short of heroic. After facing unimaginable adversity on the slopes of Mount McKinley and suffering severe frostbite, he turned his experience into a powerful message about resilience, courage and the strength of the human spirit.

“Throughout his presentation, Nigel reminded us that heroes aren’t just those in capes — they are people who face challenges head-on, choose hope over despair and keep moving forward. He encouraged our pupils to believe in themselves, embrace the bumps in their journey and understand that resilience means getting back up, even when the path ahead seems frozen.

“We were so proud to see our children engage — asking thoughtful questions, listening intently and showing how enthusiastic they are about this new programme.

“A huge thank you to Nigel for sharing his story with us and for helping our children understand that heroes come in many forms.”

Mr Vardy said: “I find speaking with youngsters so rewarding because they have open eyes.  Eyes which absorb information at a huge rate.  They also have questioning minds, with few inhibitions holding them back.  The pupils at St Joseph’s were inquiring, inspiring and full of energy, but also polite and reflective.  Taking them on my life’s journey, relating to them as youngsters and showing how I was inspired to enjoy the outdoors as a child is one way of inspiring their love of nature and the benefits it can bring.  Also, by going through adversity myself, I can share the lessons learned, and show that whatever life throws at us, we can still achieve and accomplish incredible things.

“Life is a journey, filled with experiences which will tailor our lives.  If we all walk our journey with our eyes open and inquiring minds, we can achieve a great deal.”