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An elite Australian Navy diver who lost two limbs in a horrific shark attack that changed his life, Paul de Gelder now inspires others to overcome obstacles and champions shark conservation.
The Malibu Library Speaker Series presents shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder at Malibu Library on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at 7 pm. Registration is required. Register online or call Malibu Library at 310.456.6438.
An elite Australian Navy diver who lost two limbs in a horrific shark attack that changed his life, Paul de Gelder now inspires others to overcome obstacles and champions shark conservation. He has been a long-time co-host on the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. Triumphing over tragedy by relying on the mantra that he learned as a young paratrooper in the Australian Army, “Improvise…Adapt…Overcome,” Paul has enthralled and motivated audiences around the world.
In his earlier days, de Gelder chased adventure wherever he could find it. In 2000, he joined the military, rising to the elite echelons of the Australian Defence Forces as an Army paratrooper and Navy bomb disposal diver. But in February 2009, trouble hunted him down in the form of a giant bull shark. Attacked while diving for the Navy in Sydney Harbor, he was pulled out of the water barely alive. He lost an arm and a leg and embarked on an extraordinary journey of healing, rehabilitation, and renewal. He later told his story and shared the life-changing lessons gained from his experience in his inspiring autobiography, No Time for Fear.
In the years since the shark attack, de Gelder's life has changed in every aspect. After leaving the navy, he has traveled the world as a top motivational speaker, passionate environmentalist, adventurer, and mentor to school kids. Sharing an adventurous life journey where he “faced pretty much the worst that life can throw at me, and survived and thrived,” de Gelder enthralls, captivates, and leaves audiences motivated to overcome any challenge.
This event will take place at Malibu Library. Registration is required. Register online or call Malibu Library at 310.456.6438.
Since 2013, the Malibu Library Speaker Series, a program of the Malibu Library, part of LA County Library, and the City of Malibu, has featured experts, authors, and other notable figures discussing a wide range of subjects, including the entertainment industry, literature, science, motivation, the arts, education, sports, travel, food, and the environment.
Malibu Library, located in the Malibu Civic Center Complex, was established in 1970 by the County of Los Angeles Public Library. Prior to 1970, a bookmobile provided library service to the Malibu community serving residents in Topanga Canyon and along the Pacific Coast Highway.
On April 22, 2012, a grand opening celebration was held to mark the completion of a $6 million renovation of the Malibu Library, designed by the architectural firm of LPA, Inc. and funded by revenue generated from local property taxes.
The new sustainable, LEED-certified library has been redesigned to represent Malibu's sand, sea and sun culture with features such as:
-A replica of the Adamson House tile rug in the main lobby
-A photographic exhibit featuring historical images of the area
-The Children's area featuring a marine life motif, including an 8' by 14' porcelain tile art piece designed by artist Christine Nguyen
-A Teen area that embraces Malibu's surf culture.
