Peter Hughes
The Spirit of Bali.
Profile
Peter Hughes was the man whose swollen and blistered face the Australian public saw on television during the shocking first hours of the news coverage from Bali. He literally took our breath away when we heard him quietly tell rescuers he was okay and to help those worse off than him. Later, he lapsed into a month-long coma during which he died three times and had to be revived.
Since then, Peter Hughes has emerged from his experience with an enormous sense of hope and pride in his country and fellow Australians. His recovery has been remarkable and he owes this to the support and love of friends, family and complete strangers from all walks of life.
Peter provides an emotional yet uplifting story of an ordinary Australian who is now described as a ‘hero’ and one who has triumphed against the worst odds. His gripping and personal account of the day terrorism cast its deadly shadow on Australia as told by the man who became the human face of the tragedy, and an accidental hero is moving and unforgettable.
His unique story provides audiences with hope and inspiration while allowing Peter to say thank you to all Australians who were touched by this horrific event. It is also a testament to courage, mateship, and the remarkable resilience of the human spirit to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.
In 2003 Peter Hughes published his book Back From the Dead, a personal account of his experiences.
Peter’s positive message is reality-based, filled with wisdom and inspiration, shaped by a lifetime of learning as well as his experiences as part of the Bali bombing tragedy. Peter’s humorous, anecdotal and compelling talk motivates and moves audiences to exceed personal and professional expectations.
Corporations, sporting groups, associations, schools and other groups looking for inspiration and motivation in their own lives will not be disappointed by Peter’s account of that day and life beyond Bali.
Feedback
Peter’s talk left us stunned in silence, humbled in his experience and emotionally charged! As Chairman I thanked him personally for his delivery and realised that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Throughout his talk you could hear a pin drop and for days after I received calls from attendees thanking me for coordinating Peter Hughes to talk! I would recommend that any group of people from any background or profession looking for a speaker consider Peter Hughes!
Peter kept the audience utterly engrossed with his account of the Bali bombing and his later fight for survival. We received very positive feedback from our delegates on having Peter as our guest speaker
Peter’s presentation was simply outstanding! He spoke for 50 minutes and through the whole time you could literally hear a pin drop. I have spoken to a lot of people since and they could not get over how they thought Peter only spoke for about 20 minutes. There is no doubt that Peter had the 80 strong audience totally captivated. He hits the mark beautifully with the way he mixes up the Peter Hughes story, the Australian spirit, the actual tragedy of events that is Bali and what lies ahead for all of us. It is moving and inspirational and delivered in a very down to earth style that displays the courage of just an ordinary bloke.
Peter came across as a "natural, freestyle" speaker. His spontaneity, sincerity and his subject matter captivated the audience. Many of our guests had attended previous AGMs at this hospital and said that they found him to be the best speaker yet. We were delighted and appreciative of the fact that he could join us just before the anniversary of the Bali bombings.
Our members were deeply moved by this personal experience and the courage Peter displayed in Bali. While we have read and heard media reports of the Bali tragedy, Peter’s own personal account graphically illustrated the real impact that this event had on ordinary people.
Mr Peter Hughes was an excellent guest speaker. He inspired all the students in the class by telling his remarkable and courageous story. Everyone was pleased with his presentation and more than happy to shake his hand, the hand of a Bali bomb survivor. Peter presented himself well and was a pleasure to have at our school. I greatly appreciated his presence.
Thank you for your recent guest appearance at the Wellbeing Workshop at the 2006 AMSA Convention in Perth last month. This was the first time MDA National sponsored a workshop of this kind at AMSA and like often with new events, it was difficult to anticipate the outcome. Needless to say we were delighted with the result, with the workshop being well attended and the feedback from the students very positive. We owe its success to you and your compelling story. We sincerely appreciate you sharing your personal and moving account of what transpired in Bali that day and thereafter.
