Mandy Gibbons Podcast Show... GUEST: Brett Connellan

Brett is a Surfer, Shark Attack Survivor, Motivational Speaker, Story Teller & Mental Health Advocate.

Brett shares how his life was moving along, smooth sailing for him, happy in life chasing his dream of becoming a professional surfer and qualifying for the World Tour...

To surviving a shark attack, the trauma of that, learning how to walk again... Brett's road to recovery... and his own powerful story of resilience...

...And how it's inspired him to now sharing this experience, and help others via speaking and via his incredible documentary "PYROPHYTIC" that's in the making.


JUST SOME OF THE GOLD IN THIS EPISODE:

Brett discusses how Resilience and facing adversity wasn't something that he'd had to face in this life, up until the shark attack.

How the day of the shark attack was pretty much a normal day... Other than a break-in at the store he was working at... Brett was going through the motions, as he would any other day.

Brett discusses how the shark attack took place... the sun was setting... he was contemplating life, chilling in the water, while surfing... something that he'd done many times before... and then the shark struck.

Brett shares the process of what was happening during the shark attack... And trying to fight off the shark.

How allowing the shark to take part of his leg, gave him a chance to get away from it.

The story of how Joel, Brett's best mate - and fellow surfer - helped saved Brett's life.

The incredible story of the mix-up of the rescue helicopters... how it heavily impacted his survival.

How being told that he couldn't walk, and not being able to surf again... turned his world, and identity, upside down.

...The emotional roller coaster of that.

The feeling of loneliness while in the hospital and the negative thoughts of "what if?", plus the pain killers... playing with his mind.

How it effected his family. And the weight and pressure of it on them from the moment of the shark attack and through his recovery.

...Which drove Brett to focus and be invested in his recovery... because he realised he wasn't alone and that he had people around him for support to help him heal.

The importance of taking care of your mental and emotional health and how it impacts your nervous system, immune system... And how scary it can feel.

..Being kind to yourself. And taking baby steps to move you forward.

We talk about how vital it is to talk to someone when you're going through challenging times...

How the most resilient of people can find themselves struggling... the amazing transformation that can come from that...

And what it can teach you about yourself.

The powerful lessons of letting go of WHO you were before the adversity. And being willing to create a new fresh chapter and version of yourself.

People often fail not from aiming too high and missing, but from from aiming too low and hitting... leaving too much on the table.

The possibilities and opportunities that change offers you.

The inspiration behind Brett's Documentary... And how Brett's cinematographer friend Sam Tolhurst... Who loves telling people's stories.

..Sam and Brett formed Honest Boys Productions aka the creators of PYROPHYTIC...

A story that's more than a shark attack. That also includes the journey of those who loved him, his recovery team... Brett interviews them and their experience throughout this.

The documentary also shares Brett getting back into surfing and "what's next" for him. And the incredible achievements he has accomplished since then.

The involvement of the community and inspiring others throughout the production of the documentary... and moving forward.

You can reach out to Brett here...
https://www.brettconnellan.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-connellan-0b5b551a2/
https://www.facebook.com/brett.connellan
https://www.instagram.com/pyrophyticfilm/

Mandy Gibbons
Resilience Coach for Men