Episode 21 - Sam Bloom. Realities of life and living inspite of suffering.
03/23/23 • 53 min
The Story Shared:
Sam Bloom spoke about a time when her best friend was killed by a grenade in Africa and how she should have been with him at the time of the accident. Sam suffered from survivor’s guilt, wishing that it was her instead of her friend. She also goes on to describe the effects of the tragic accident that led to her being paralysed and in a wheelchair.
About Sam Bloom:
The blink of an eye, a heartbeat, a split second in time. That’s all it took for Sam Bloom’s life to change forever.
Sam had everything she had always dreamed of. She’d travelled extensively, fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a nurse and was a happily married mother of three young boys.
Without warning, the dream turned into a nightmare when on a 2013 family holiday in Thailand, Sam fell through a rotten balcony railing and crashed six metres onto the concrete below.
Lucky to be alive, she’d suffered devastating injuries, including severe damage to her spinal cord that left her paralysed from the chest down.
Broken and hopeless, Sam reached her outer limits of physical and mental suffering. But with courage, determination and a little help from an unlikely feathered friend, she made her way back from the edge, scarred but undefeated.
Career Highlights:
→ World Para Surfing Champion.
→ Paralympian representing Australia.
→ Her story has now been transformed into a major film produced by Naomi Watts.
Expertise:
→ Inspirational speaker.
→ Ambassador to multiple not-for-profit organisations.
→ Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong shares Sam’s personal perspective on facing and overcoming adversity.
For more on Sam Bloom visit her website - https://sambloom.com.au
Follow me on Instagram and YouTube.
For more, go to https://www.paramedicmindset.com.au/
Music by Ehrling Music.
The Story Shared:
Sam Bloom spoke about a time when her best friend was killed by a grenade in Africa and how she should have been with him at the time of the accident. Sam suffered from survivor’s guilt, wishing that it was her instead of her friend. She also goes on to describe the effects of the tragic accident that led to her being paralysed and in a wheelchair.
About Sam Bloom:
The blink of an eye, a heartbeat, a split second in time. That’s all it took for Sam Bloom’s life to change forever.
Sam had everything she had always dreamed of. She’d travelled extensively, fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a nurse and was a happily married mother of three young boys.
Without warning, the dream turned into a nightmare when on a 2013 family holiday in Thailand, Sam fell through a rotten balcony railing and crashed six metres onto the concrete below.
Lucky to be alive, she’d suffered devastating injuries, including severe damage to her spinal cord that left her paralysed from the chest down.
Broken and hopeless, Sam reached her outer limits of physical and mental suffering. But with courage, determination and a little help from an unlikely feathered friend, she made her way back from the edge, scarred but undefeated.
Career Highlights:
→ World Para Surfing Champion.
→ Paralympian representing Australia.
→ Her story has now been transformed into a major film produced by Naomi Watts.
Expertise:
→ Inspirational speaker.
→ Ambassador to multiple not-for-profit organisations.
→ Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong shares Sam’s personal perspective on facing and overcoming adversity.
For more on Sam Bloom visit her website - https://sambloom.com.au
Follow me on Instagram and YouTube.
For more, go to https://www.paramedicmindset.com.au/
Music by Ehrling Music.
Previous Episode
Episode 20 - Mandy Hickson. Maintaining composure under fire.
The Story Shared:
Mandy Hickson’s fascinating story of being shot at by a missile over Iraq is truly remarkable. This story is so captivating that it could be written as its own book. Mandy details how the mission was the first she completed as the lead commander, flying her Top Gun fighter jet, the Torpedo, during the Iraq war and the critical decisions she needed to make under immense pressure.
About Mandy Hickson:
Finding a love of flying early in life, Mandy fought hard to achieve her ambition to be a Royal Air Force pilot. She was only the second woman to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line, amassing over thirty years of experience within aviation, completing three tours of duty and 45 missions over Iraq during that time.
Mandy is a highly demanded keynote speaker across a range of business sectors, where she talks with humour and great passion to inspire those around her. She has been invited to share her insights with some of the most successful organisations across the world where she describes the strategies & behaviours that can be adopted when the stakes are at their highest.
Career Highlights:
→ Second woman to ever fly a Tornado GR4 in combat.
→ Author - An Officer, Not a Gentleman.
→ 30 Years’ experience in Aviation.
Expertise:
→ Human performance factors; decision-making, communication, leadership, and behaviour.
→ Keynote speaker.
→ Flight instructor.
For more on Mandy Hickson visit her website - https://www.mandyhickson.com/
Follow me on Instagram and YouTube.
For more, go to https://www.paramedicmindset.com.au/
Music by Ehrling Music.
Next Episode
Episode 22 - Bradley "Nobby" Norris. Longevity in a high risk environment and overcoming traumatic events.
The Story Shared:
Brad opened up about a time when a friend and fellow paramedic tragically died in a helicopter crash. The experience of dealing with another paramedic’s death on the job struck a nerve in Brad as he had to deal with his own mortality. Later on in his career, he would come to work and operate out of the same helicopter service for over 14 years. He shares how he was able to overcome the grief of his friend dying and do the same thing that killed him.
About Brad Norris:
Brad “Nobby” Norris started working for the ambulance in 1988 at the tender age of 18. He has worked as a paramedic for the past 34 years and continues to this day.
Working as a critical care paramedic for 17 years, Brad has vast knowledge and experience in the profession demonstrated by having worked as an Urban Search and Rescue Officer, special response team leader, rescue helicopter paramedic, officer in charge, educator, and operation supervisor.
He describes having a fantastic career with lifelong friends, and brotherhood and loved helping people. He has gone from a shy boy at school to a confident man who takes charge of challenging scenes. After all these years still going strong mentally, physically, enthusiastic and focused as a clinician is a testament to his nature.
He is now looking forward to the next few years mentoring the younger generation and guiding them through their initial challenging years.
Career Highlights:
→ Responding to Earthquake in New Zealand.
→ Operating in fires, floods and cyclones as a special response team leader.
Expertise:
→ Real-world application of paramedic skills.
→ Leadership under pressure.
Follow me on Instagram and YouTube.
For more, go to https://www.paramedicmindset.com.au/
Music by Ehrling Music.
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