Chris Blowes
Australian Adaptive Surfing Champion 2022 & Shark Attack Survivor On Anzac Day 2015 Chris was surfing when he was attacked by a great white shark Chris lost a leg, his heart stopped, and he was bleeding out at the bottom of a cliff 35 kilometres from the nearest country hospital on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. But Chris has displayed how you can achieve anything through determination.
Chris is an above knee amputee and disability advocate. He does motivational speaking engagements where he shares his story about overcoming adversity in the hope of inspiring others to navigate life’s challenges.
Australian Para Surf Champion, Co-author of the book Caught Inside and keynote speaker, Chris will have you on the edge of your seat as he shares how he overcame adversity to find purpose through his trauma.
His story will show you how through struggle and hardship there can be growth and learning and how with the right mindset there can be so much to gain if you can make it through moments of adversity and discomfort.
Chris certainly has quite a story to tell and its one you will definitely want to hear. Chris’s presentation will inspire you to step out of your comfort zone, celebrate your failures and encourage you to find a deeper purpose.
Chris says we all carry our own traumas, but can we look deeper to find a bigger purpose in them. Some of us have already faced hardship, or it might be ahead of you. We can all relate to the challenges life throws at us. But it’s about how we face up to them, it’s about how we perceive the heartache.
Chris’s speaking engagements will give you the key take-aways and reality checks that will help motivate you through moments of hardship and inspire you to achieve your goals.
Based in South Australia
About
Speaking topics
Overcoming adversity
Chris was attacked by a Great White Shark leaving him with a permanent disability and changing his life forever. Life will throw all kinds of challenges at you, and Chris highlights how there can be so much to gain if you can come out the other side.
Dealing with your inner critic
Everyone has that voice inside their head that tells you – “you’re not good enough” or “you can’t do it”. Having the courage to recognise and stand up to these limiting beliefs is important so you can achieve your full potential.
Stepping outside of your comfort zone
It’s easy to stay within your comfort zone, but the true magic happens when we push the boundaries. When we take risks and do something that scares us, that’s when the biggest growth happens.
Overcoming fear of failure
So often we look at failure as something bad or negative. But if we can change our thinking to embrace our failures and view them as an answer and an opportunity for learning there can be so much to gain.
The power of gratitude
Even in the darkest of times, Chris still had plenty to be grateful for. Research shows that a regular gratitude practice improves your wellbeing and ability to cope with stresses. Learn gratitude strategies to help get you through moments of hardship or those tough days.
Finding purpose in your trauma
Everyone has a story and everyone carries their own trauma which is often associated with negative connotations. Chris inspires you to look at your trauma through a different lens and find a bigger purpose beyond the heartache.
Testimonials
“Chris is a wonderful speaking talent with a great heart and a tremendously powerful story. Having survived the most horrific ordeal imaginable, his willingness to relive the terror he faced and share his experience for the sole purpose of helping others is incredibly inspiring. It’s very rare that you come across someone who can render any audience speechless, regardless of who they are and you can guarantee anyone who hears Chris present will leave feeling more grateful to be alive.”
Young Blood Men’s Health Matter
“We have been privileged to hear Chris Blowes speak on two occasions. For me, Chris’s story resonates on many levels. Of course his survival was extraordinary, but that was largely out of his hands. The courage shown on the day of the shark attack can be credited to his surfing mates. The skill and tenacity demonstrated is a tribute to the many health professionals involved. Where Chris had to step up was from the moment he awoke from the sedation in the hospital ICU. His recovery and rehab is a wonderful tale of mental
strength and willpower. To finally return to his highly physical work as a builder and to resume his surfing is a measure of his character. And in his telling of the story in a typically understated, laconic Aussie fashion, there is a message for all of us about the power of positivity.”
Dr Richard Harris SC OAM – 2019 Joint Australian of the Year
“Chris spoke with real emotion and humanity. There were parts of his incredible story that made the hairs on my arm stand to attention. Surviving the shark attack itself was simply the beginning of a truly inspirational come back and rebuild of his whole way of life. To say I was inspired and moved by what Chris has achieved is an understatement. With a view to continue doing the things he loved (like surfing) after being told it was not going to be possible is a real lesson in strength, courage, persistence, love and perseverance. All qualities of a great leader and a remarkable human being.”
President of Urban Development Institute of Australia
