Fired up over frozen volcano

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‘‘The doctor on the Waikato Air Ambulance did a lot to save my life and the care at Waikato Hospital was perfect.’’

Then came Pike’s biggest adventure; getting his life back on track.

He spent nine weeks in hospital and underwent 15 operations. It took a couple months to learn how to walk properly again.

‘‘I got my first leg in February 2008 but that was not very good,’’ he said. ‘‘Prosthetics and amputees are hard to get right.’’

Four months after the accident, Pike got a part time job as a teacher and he said he turned up to his first day legless.

‘‘It was daunting to be entering the work place without a leg,’’ he said.

Eventually, Pike got a prosthetic that felt right but he said it was not an easy process.

‘‘I would walk around the block, keeping a note book, tracking times, distances and lamp posts,’’ he said. ‘‘I was just trying to get the leg to fit right.’’

Then Pike was able to walk again.

‘‘That hard work I was putting in behind the scenes was paying off and then I was able to walk again, which was massive.’’

Pike said it was a long road to get it right but they got there in the end and Pike even managed an 18 hour climb in Antarctica.