Robynne Eller reviews Kev Shields’s show
Journalist Robynne Eller reviews Kev’s show:
For a man from the small town of Dalry, Ayrshire, Kev Shields has achieved so much in his short climbing career so far – and all with just one hand.
Yet Kev is probably one of the most modest climbers you are ever likely to meet. He is constantly seeking better and more lairy climbs but cannot fathom why greats such as Dave Macleod want him on their side; It’s because you’re amazing Kev, that’s why!
Since childhood, Kev has cleared and smashed any hurdles that have been thrown on his tracks, even if one of them was soloing an E7. You can clearly see that Kev has embraced every aspect of his life and lives to climb. To him nothing else is more important.
Kev has quickly learnt to not let his disability and epilepsy get in his way. Where most people would think he would be ground to a halt for even thinking about climbing, he has not let anything hold him back. With help from the prosthetics department at University of Strathclyde and many, many prosthetic ice axes later, Kev is unstoppable.
I, as I’m sure many others do, have a soft spot for Kev. Having a brother who also suffers from epilepsy, I can understand how much and how hard Kev has had to push himself. It has given me even more faith in my brother that he can do anything he pours his heart into; nothing is unattainable.
Having only less than ten years of climbing experience under his belt, you forget that he is fairly fresh to the world of giving lectures. His sense of humour is very much raw, quick and witty. It feels like you’re listening to him talk about his climbs over a pint at his local pub, rather than a freshly painted lecture hall. In five years time, Kev will be one of the great adventure speakers; God only knows what he will have been up to in that time.
