Derrick McManus

About Derrick

Derrick McManus was a Sniper, Tactical Diver and Counter-Terrorist Operative with the South Australia Police Special Task and Rescue (STAR) Group when he was shot fourteen times with a high-powered rifle in less than five seconds. He lay bleeding on the ground for three hours before he could be rescued — in what became the worst shooting in South Australia's history. His treating physician, Dr Bill Griggs, said simply: 'I don't know how he survived. He's an incredible human being.' After two and a half years of recovery, Derrick returned to full duties with the STAR Group.

What Derrick has built from that experience goes well beyond survival. He has developed a framework he calls the Durability of Human Performance — a concept that distinguishes between resilience and durability, and argues that optimum performance is not about being perfect, but about sustaining your best possible output throughout a challenge, regardless of external circumstances. He is working with the University of South Australia's psychology department to further research the science of Durability, and brings the latest findings in positive psychology alongside his own story.

Derrick has presented as a keynote speaker in Asia, the United States, New Zealand and across Australia. His keynotes and workshops are built for leaders, teams and organisations that need to perform under sustained pressure — in safety-critical industries, high-stakes corporate environments and any context where the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it matters. He gives audiences specific, actionable tools for building confidence, making decisions under pressure and taking responsibility for outcomes — grounded in one of the most extraordinary personal stories on the Australian speaking circuit.