Shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder
Marg Booth from Great Expectation Speakers and Trainers shares her top five new speakers.
1. Kirsty Wright – Forensic Scientist
Kirsty presents a scientific review of the victim identification of the Thailand Tsunami victims with focus on her DNA work and grown breaking discovery of processes that are now used globally.
On Boxing Day 2004 a 9.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia triggering a tsunami that killed over 230,000 people from over forty countries. Kirsty Wright is a Forensic Biologist specialising in missing persons and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). Following the Boxing Day Tsunami she was the DNA Team Leader for the International Thai Tsunami Victim Identification Centre in Phuket as part of the Australian Federal Police DVI Team.
Kirsty’s presentation gives a rare insight into what happened after the wave, when teams of forensic experts from around the world combined to work on the largest disaster victim identification operation in history. She discusses the challenges she and her team faced in trying to identify the youngest victims of the disaster, where it seemed likely the children would be lost forever.
2. Joey Zuber – Cliff Diver
Queensland’s international cliff diving champion Joey Zuber typically dives from 24 to 28 metres above the water, hitting the drink at speeds of over 100 kilometres per hour. He has done a plethora of stunt work on TV and film, and also worked in Japan for Universal Studios.
Joey is contracted to Red Bull and is one of an elite band of 15 professional cliff divers in the world. The element of danger is unavoidable for the professional cliff diver and in 2008 Joey felt its full force when he snapped his femur in half during a cliff dive in Puerto Gaitan, Columbia.
Following a nine hour journey on the bumpy road to a hospital in Bogota, with no pain relief, a 15 hour wait, and a seven-and-a-half hour operation, he went into renal failure – which almost killed him. After many hairy days in ICU, and seven operations later Joey began his long recovery process.
In 2012 he headed back to the place of his accident, with a documentary crew, to record his comeback to the sport and to revisit and thank all who helped him survive that day. Thankfully he survived his ‘return’ dive and is here today to share the story of his journey back to the sport he loves.
3. Paul de Gelder – Shark attack survivor
Paul de Gelder’s life reads like a Boy’s Own Adventure. From rebel, drug dealer, and strip club worker, to adventurer, soldier, fitness enthusiast, Navy diver, motivational speaker and mentor to kids across Australia, Paul is an exceptional man.
On February 11th, 2009 Paul was on exercise in Sydney Harbour between Garden Island and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair when he was attacked by a massive bull shark resulting in the loss of his right leg and right hand. In a race against time Paul’s mates hauled him from the water providing emergency first aid and rushed him to the wharf to await the paramedics.
His recovery is a story of mental and physical courage. Today he’s back surfing, diving, running and training in the gym with the help of specially made prosthetics and has since again dived with bullsharks in the ocean.
4. Ben Southall – Best Job in the World winner
Ben is really upbeat and entertaining. He speaks about his travel adventures and the hugely successful ‘Best Job in the World’ campaign that he won.
In January 2009, Tourism Queensland launched a global search to find a Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, offering a salary of $150K rent free luxury island accommodation and the opportunity to discover and report back to a world-wide audience what the region has to offer, both below and above the water. The search for applicants received extensive media and consumer attention resulting in 34,684 potential candidates applying from almost 200 countries – with Ben Southall being the end winner.
Ben has a very up-beat and engaging keynote presentation around his story both before, and after the win of his life. His keynote presentation covers areas of motivation, goal setting, branding and marketing, the power of social media, strategy and planning, as well as entertainment.
5. Susan Pearse – Neuroscientist
Susan Pearse is evangelical about improving minds – and not just her own. She helps reveal the brain traps that hold you back and how you can wake up, think differently and grow to your full potential. Many leaders will credit Susan’s insight and guidance as the key to uncovering a renewed sense of purpose and pursuing the balance, success and satisfaction that was missing in their life.
Inspired after a quarter life crisis and a chance meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, she created the best selling Mind Gardener range, a series of step by step guides that make mind training easy. She has helped thousands of people to improve their performance, increase happiness, and live a life of purpose, fulfillment and success.
