Chris Blowes

About Chris

Chris Blowes had his life changed in an instant. On Anzac Day 2015, while surfing at Right Point, Fishery Bay, near Port Lincoln in South Australia, he was attacked by a great white shark. He lost his left leg and suffered serious lacerations to his flank, and at the bottom of a cliff more than 30 kilometres from the nearest country hospital he was given just under 90 minutes of CPR in the ambulance and in the emergency department at Port Lincoln. He returned to the water and has since become a two-time Australian Para Surf Champion who has represented Australia at the World Adaptive Surf Titles.

His story is not one of adversity described from a safe distance. Chris speaks about what it actually took to rebuild — the physical pain, the psychological battles, the decision to return to the ocean, and the daily discipline required to reach the level he competes at now. His talks on post-traumatic growth, dealing with change, finding purpose and mental health are grounded in lived experience rather than theory, and they carry the weight of a person who has genuinely had to choose how to respond to the worst moment of his life. He is co-author of the book Caught Inside, managing director of Concept Design Build, and a wellness coach in the construction industry, working with people trying to return to work after injury or illness.

For corporate audiences, Chris offers something rare: a perspective on adversity that is both extreme and relatable. The principles he applied to his own recovery — setting targets, training when it hurts, leaning on support, and refusing to be defined by a setback — apply directly to the challenges of any high-performance team. He is particularly effective in rooms dealing with change, disruption, workplace injury or the aftermath of difficult events.