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Paul Pritchard is a professional mountaineer, TEDx speaker and diversity and inclusion educator. He has roamed the world in search of mountains, from Patagonia to the Himalayas.
When he won an award for literature, Paul spent the prize money on a round-the-world climbing tour that found him in Tasmania, climbing the world’s slenderest needle of rock -The Totem Pole. It was here that Paul’s life was changed forever - a falling boulder crushed Paul’s skull resulting was a massive brain injury. His partner, Celia bull, had to haul him 30 metres to a ledge on a thin nylon rope – a super-human effort.
He permanently lost use of his right side,became epileptic and could not talk for many months. During his year-long stay in hospital Paul wrote The Totem Pole. This memoir of his journey through brain in jury became a best-seller, winning several awards.
Since the accident Paul has led teams of ‘Disabled Adventurers’ up Kilimanjaro, cycled from the lowest point to the highest point in Australia and to Mount Everest. In 2023 Paul led a team of people with disabilities on a traverse of the 232km Larapinta Trail in the Red Centre.
Though Paul is perhaps most well-known for returning to The Totem Pole 18 years after his brain injury,the subject of the Award-winning film ‘Doing It Scared’. For this he was awarded the Australian Geographic Spirit of Adventure medal and was nominated for Australian of the Year.
Paul volunteers his time to several disability organisations and presents across the world, while raising a family with his partner.
Paul is a shining example of resilience, and the courage we can find when we work with what we’ve got.
1. ‘Doing It Scared’ Presentation is a Motivational/Inspirational presentation.
2. ‘The Longest Climb’ Presentation is more story-based Adventure/Sport/Survivorship
3. ‘Seeing Beyond: A New Perspective on Disability’ - Disability Awareness Workshop/Presentation is designed instruct adults in work-places in Unconscious Bias Diversity and Inclusion, including ‘Dignity of Risk’.
4. Doing It Like Paul - My Student Empathy (Diversity and Inclusion) Workshop where students are given one-handed tasks to achieve like setting up a tent, peeling a potato etc. It is a very ‘walking a mile in another person shoes’ workshop.
1. ‘Doing It Scared’ Presentation is a Motivational/Inspirational presentation.
2. ‘The Longest Climb’ Presentation is more story-based Adventure/Sport/Survivorship
3. ‘Seeing Beyond: A New Perspective on Disability’ - Disability Awareness Workshop/Presentation is designed instruct adults in work-places in Unconscious Bias Diversity and Inclusion, including ‘Dignity of Risk’.
4. Doing It Like Paul - My Student Empathy (Diversity and Inclusion) Workshop where students are given one-handed tasks to achieve like setting up a tent, peeling a potato etc. It is a very ‘walking a mile in another person shoes’ workshop.
