We are heading back Down Under for this episode to speak with a super-inspirational Aussie named Paul Jamieson, who at the age of 32 suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in a freak wakeboarding accident. He spent the following half a year in a hospital before being released to a rehab facility that for years basically had no hope for him and did little more than feed him puréed foods. Remarkably, these life-altering events transformed him into an extremely positive person. Paul used to be highly critical and negative, but post-accident, he has completely eradicated negativity from his life. We are joined by Dan Dougherty, who I’ve coached both when he was in high school back in the 90s and as an adult, and who has helped guide Paul at Jigsaw Australia, a company that provides training and employment for disabled people. Paul’s ultimate goal is to live independently and secure meaningful work in a mainstream job, with the dream of becoming a motivational speaker. His journey has been arduous – after his accident, he was in a vegetative state and bedridden for years, unable to communicate except by blinking his eyes or to sit up because his legs were totally straight and stiff. However, inspired to make a change, Paul, with the help of his dedicated therapy team, has taken life one step at a time, re-learning how to speak and eat. Initially, he couldn't even bend his knees enough to complete one rotation on a stationary bicycle. Through excruciating hard work, now his goal is to walk 600 meters to the local café – he's currently able to cover more than half of that. Paul's sense of humor and ability to inspire others to believe in their dreams, seek help when needed, and maintain a positive outlook are truly remarkable, so I think you’ll enjoy hearing from this very inspirational Aussie.

Listen to more on Paul's story on the Spotify podcast series, Beyond the Impact - Paul's Recovery Story

Bill Stahl
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