James Heather (OKS 1994) delivers inspirational address to Sixth Form students

On Tuesday 17 March, James Heather (OKS 1994) returned to King’s to speak to the Sixth Form about his life journey since leaving school. James became a successful pilot for British airways, however, life as he knew it came to an abrupt halt one evening in Paris in 2002. He suffered a severe brain injury after falling 18 feet onto a marble floor from a hotel balcony. James discussed his recovery and the challenges he had faced along the way. His message to the students was to never judge a book by its cover and always be kind, he spoke about living life to the full and always maintaining a positive attitude, even in the darkest of days.

Since his horrific accident, James has skied, piloted his friend’s plane and taken up roles as an extra in films and tv series – all of which he thought wouldn’t be possible after his accident. He thanked King’s and said that the education and life lessons he was taught instilled in him a sheer willingness and determination to not only survive, but to enjoy life again, be positive and grateful for everything he now had.

We were extremely grateful to James for taking the time to come in to speak to the students who were very moved by his speech and full of admiration for his sheer determination and resilience.