From a rugby team to a society

This is a true story of team spirit and perseverance.

On October 13, 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed into the Andes with 45 people on board, including members of the Old Christians Club rugby team, along with friends and family.

After 72 days in harsh mountain conditions, with no food and medicine, only 16 survived. This incident has inspired films, books, and television series, including Netflix’s recent production “Society of the Snow,” which inspired me to view this story from the perspective of building a resilient and strong team in challenging times.

[Disclaimer: My intention is not to comment on the historical accuracy of the pictures or spoil the movie. In this piece, I’m sharing my personal reflections on the way the team came together during this impossible life rescue mission.]

At the story’s beginning, we see a group of young, joyful, restless, energetic mates from a rugby team. They like each other’s company, know each other’s strengths, and feel comfortable joking and fooling around—a regular, healthy team.

This team faced a dramatic test after their plane crashed in the snowy summits of Cordillera de los Andes while traveling to a tournament in Santiago de Chile.

For 72 days, they fought for survival with no food, medicines, severe cold, snowstorms, avalanches, and no communication with the external world. The way they treated each other in these inhuman conditions testifies to the greatness of humankind and serves as inspiration for those challenged by impossible threads.

Three inspirations I take from this story:

I. The meaning and purpose of life are the strongest motivations.

How do you keep the spirit optimistic when everything tells you there is no chance to survive? In the movie “Society of the Snow,” there’s a scene where the boys motivate each other not to lose hope, to pursue the rescue mission. They enforce the true meaning of life regardless of who you are, your role, or your contributions to the rescue mission. “Your life has purpose, and you need to believe that” – one boy says firmly.

This scene reminded me of Viktor Frankl’s book “Man’s Search for Meaning,” telling the story of surviving the Holocaust by finding personal meaning in the experience.

Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who created logotherapy, recalls that those who maintained a sense of purpose and meaning in life during his time in a Nazi camp survived much longer than those who lost their way.

According to V. Frankl,

“We can discover this meaning in life in three different ways:

by creating a work or doing a deed;
by experiencing something or encountering someone; and
by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering”

and that “everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances”. [ Frankl, Viktor (1 June 2006). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press. ISBN 978-0-8070-1427-1.]

I was deeply captivated by the approach to suffering portrayed by one of the characters, Numa Turcatti, played in the movie by Enzo Vogrincic. A 25-year-old promising lawyer lives and breathes through this challenging battle with the forces of nature on the mountain, guided by Christian values, unwavering in his faith, and dedicating his life to service.

II. At the end of the day, people will remember how you cared for them.

Witnessing the survivors’ level of kindness, care, and love after the plane crash was moving. They were selfless, attentive, and caring, moving to rescue each other without hesitation, offering care and cure, cuddle and laughter, prayer and presence in moments of silent passing away.

It’s not standard in high mountains or on plains.

In life-threatening situations, the survival brain takes over, and we tend to focus on ourselves. I won’t assess those making decisions in such situations, but I can’t understand why there’s so much selfishness, games, arrogance, and disconnection in business and public institutions these days.

III. Keep your body fit to make your spirit sharper.

Nando Parado, one of the survivors and a natural champion, sets an example for us all. Regardless of weather conditions, he took time every day to exercise, stretch, and keep his body active.

Some may think there wasn’t much to do in the snow desert, but let’s think about the excuses we make to avoid burden, hardship, and discipline, and how New Year resolutions and promises vanish weeks after declaring them.

Nando never stopped exercising, never stopped believing help would come, and was determined to go the extra mile to find the rescue. And he finally did.

Envision how the quality of our relationships, decisions, and motivations would increase if we took care of our bodies first.

The cover image source : Getty images