Most people who say “what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger” have never had a brush with death. But, for Nando Parrado, survivor of the 1972 Air Force crash in the Andes, the phrase has a literal resonance.

Born in 1949 to a middle class family in Montevideo, Uruguay, he displayed special talent for rugby as a teenager. At the age of 22, he was chosen to represent Uruguay at an international rubgy match in Chile. En route to Chile, the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 which was carrying him together with 44 other passengers crashed in the Andes, where the altitude touches 3,600 metres.

The next 72 days turned out to be one of the most torturous yet definitive moments in Mr Parrado's life. Speaking at a regional learning event organised by the Singapore Chapter of global entrepreneurs' netowrk, Entrepreneurs' Organisation (EO), Mr Parrado recalled times when he had to ration a single peanut over three days.

But his darkest days were yet to come. Eight days after the plane crash, the search for the Andes survivors was called off. When Mr Parrado first heard the news from a small transistor radio that was salvaged from ruins of the plane, he recalled that all he felt was despair. But rather than wallow in self pity and misery, Mr Parrado decided to be proactive instead.

Realising that ht only way to survive was to make a physically demanding trek out of the mountains, Mr Parrado dismantled seat belts and cushions to make snow shoes for himself.

Together with his friend Roberto Canessa, Mr Parrado made a 10-day trek across the Andes and eventually alerted the authorities to other survivors still at the site of the plane crash. With books, movies and television series inspired by his story, his success in overcoming the physical odds against him led some to call him a “hero”. But Mr Parrado rejected the label.

“If being a hero means that I have to lose my family (his mother and sister both died in the same plane crash), then I can safely say that I have no wish to be a hero,” said Mr Parrado.

But the incident helped to shape his business acumen. “After all, if I was able to make it out of the Andes alive, I believe that I can survive whatever the world throws at me.”

Now, Mr Parrado has leadership positions in four companies in Uruguay. His companies are located in industries as diverse as industrial hardware to media production.

By bringing in motivational speakers like Mr Parrado, EO Singapore hopes to unleash the business potential in its members – comprising SME leaders and businessmen.

“It is through learning events such as this that a collective group of entrepreneurs can learn and share from one another's experiences. By acting as a learning and sharing platform, EO Singapore can also help to shorten their various journeys so that they can reach their business targets faster,” said Leonard Tan, CEO of online marketing company PurpleClick Media and the communication chair of EO Singapore.