Paul de Gelder

As a teenager, Paul de Gelder ran rampant with his friends and became involved in drinking, fighting and stealing. He knew this was no type of life. He subsequently left his home town and started a new life that involved working the bars of strip clubs and an involvement in the Australian music scene, even opening for Snoop Dogg in 1998. In November of 2000, de Gelder, then 23, joined the Royal Australian Army as a paratrooper in search of a better life. It was a defining moment for him, and he learned the arts of jungle and urban warfare; unarmed combat; specialist communications; combat first aid; parachuting, snipering; and was deployed as a United Nations peacekeeper. In 2005, with a desire to expand on his career and test his mettle, Paul attempted the arduous Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver selection process. After a year of training, he was accepted onto the Dive Team. But trouble hunted him down. In February 2009, while on a dive, Paul was attacked from below by a bull shark. It bit down on his right arm and leg simultaneously and tried to drag him down. He was pulled to safety, but he lost both limbs, and his career as a daredevil Navy Bomb Clearance Diver was flung into jeopardy. Drawing on everything his eventful life had taught him, Paul left nothing to chance in his recovery. He fought through excruciating pain, smashing challenge after challenge, and amazing the medical staff with his will to succeed. His determination took 'never say die' to a whole new level. In the years since the shark attack, de Gelder's life has changed in every aspect. He left full time Navy Service in August 2012, after instructing Navy Divers for 3.5 years. He's traveled the world as a top motivational speaker, passionate environmentalist, adventurer and mentor to school kids. He also faced his fears head on, and learned to swim with the sharks he once despised, but now champions. He's dived with sharks all over the world, swimming among dozens of breeds, including cageless swims with the infamous great white shark, learning to hand feed bull head sharks in Fiji, and great hammerheads in the Bahamas. de Gelder has spoken at venues all around the world, from the United Nations in New York promoting shark conservation, to Paris Casino in Las Vegas and the US Navy in San Diego, to Australian Anzac Day military celebrations in front of thousands, and keynotes for multi-million dollar corporations and charity organizations. He's been touted as one of the top 15 inspirational Australians, and top ten speakers. 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 been a returning co-host for Discovery Channel's Shark Week since 2014. He's also hosted the National Geographic special 'Fearless,' in which he embedded with an anti-poaching team in Zimbabwe. de Gelder hosted behind the scenes footage for the 2016 Hollywood blockbuster 'The Shallows,' and interviewed the movies star Blake Lively. Has been touted as one of the top 15 inspirational Australians and top 10 speakers. In 2018, he made his acting debut in FOXTEL'S 'Fighting Season.' He continues to serve part time as a Navy diver.