PAUL DEGELDER / 

Interviewed By Julia Wheeler 

'Improvise, Adapt, Overcome' - Paul Degelder

Hot Topics Of The Podcast

• Paul never wanted to be a shark diving motivational speaker 
• Paul's background and the early days of bars, rap and drugs
• Army life
• Paul's rapping background - believe it or not, involved Snoop Dog!
• How changing perception of situations, rather than your circumstance changes your life
• Paul's childhood dog attack
• How Paul got into bomb disposal diving
• Paul’s shark attack where a Bull Shark took his arm and leg in Sydney Harbour
• Why Paul wouldn't change what happened
• How his shark attack was medically treated
• The mental healing process after losing two limbs to a Bull Shark
• Paul shows off his prosthetic hand
• Girl issues of a robot life
• Paul's initial pain of losing his leg
• How Paul got through the shark attack and moved on
• Amazing quote - "Never feel bad about feeling bad"
• How the ocean and swimming with sharks is not a trigger for Paul after the shark attack
• We shouldn't be afraid of sharks, they should be scared of us
• Paul's job with Discovery channel
• 3 tips for people afraid of sharks
• How Paul has changed his life post-attack to preserve the marine environment

Paul De Gelder

Paul de Gelder chased adventure wherever he could find it, from his wild ride as a hoodlum teen and his whirlwind lifestyle working to hauling his way up to the elite echelons of the Australian Defence Forces as an Army paratrooper and then a Navy bomb disposal diver. But trouble hunted him down in the form of a 9ft bull shark in February 2009 while diving for the Navy. Paul lost two limbs, and his career as a daredevil diver was flung into jeopardy.

Drawing on everything his eventful life had taught him, Julia talks with Paul openly about how he left nothing to chance in his recovery and how he fought through excruciating pain, smashing challenge after challenge and becoming an advocate for the oceans and where he learnt to hand feed Bull Sharks, Hammerheads, Blue Sharks, dive with tiger sharks and even Great Whites without the protection of a cage.

Paul speaks candidly and humorously about overcoming adversity, embracing change and turning fears into your greatest strengths to create an amazing life personally and professionally. He has also been a guest on every major Australian TV talk show and many in the U.S. He starred as a guest trainer on the Biggest Loser Australia and has hosted over 18 documentaries for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week with his latest alongside Robert Irwin.

Megastar Will Smith Featured Paul in his Facebook series “Bucket List” as his shark diving mentor and UFC hall of famer and now WWE star Ronda Rousey was taught how to hand feed bull sharks by Paul for a Shark Week special. Paul also became part of an anti-poaching team in Africa to hunt poachers and film the amazing work done by the Rangers there for “FEARLESS”, aired on NatGeo.

In the years since the shark attack, Paul’s life has changed in every aspect. Paul has travelled the world as a top motivational speaker, passionate environmentalist, adventurer and mentor to school kids. He has spoken at venues across the globe, from the United Nations in New York and the US Navy in San Diego to Military celebrations in front of thousands and keynotes for multimillion dollar corporations and charity organisations around Australia and Asia.

Paul has been touted as one of the top 15 inspirational Australians and top 10 speakers and now based in Los Angeles - listen to his awe-inspiring interview with Julia Wheeler because it will open your heart and mind at how you may approach life, a little differently.