Detours on the road to Awe: Catastrophe & rehabilitation in pursuit of terror & veneration in oceans, mountains & heavens
18:00 Tuesday 25 August 2026 • Purchase Tickets
Abraham Mott Hall, Argyle Place, Millers Point NSW, Australia
The Inspire Adventure Series is a regular monthly event aiming to get you inspired by presenters who will be sharing their outdoor adventures through multimedia slide shows. Besides watching the presentation and Q&A, there will be a time to connect, chat, exchange ideas, motivate each other, and maybe even to find a partner for your next adventure?
The spraypainted writing on the wall instantly resonated and made an indelible imprint on the young boy riding his bicycle to check the surf.
“Let love be your search, the ocean your religion and the forest your church”
“Put me back in the ocean” were among the first intelligible words uttered some 40 years later through the morphine, adrenalin, oxygen & blood lines attached to the broken body recovering consciousness in the Intensive Care Unit hours after being airlifted for spinal surgery following a paragliding incident in 2022.
At this junction, Chris’ developing university thesis on quantifying biological markers for states of flow, clutch and awe through neuroscience & the shifting cultural attitudes towards people devoted to the acquisition, maintenance & loss of expertise in wicked environments (titled HEROES: High Expertise & Risk Orientated Experience Specialists) became a deeply experiential case study in biological and psychological science where n=1.
Learning to surf before being able to crawl, climb before being able to stand, and fly before being able to walk have formed part of an evolving story of the collective will and actions involved in reclaiming a lifetime of progressive activity and adventure under, on and in the oceans, mountains and skies through fitness for task, expert assistance & constant adaptation.
It is fitting that Chris recounts for the first time this & other rescues as part of the Inspire Series for Paddy Pallin, the origin of the NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue (BSAR) unit that have supported him throughout.
Bio:
Chris’ has titanium in his spine, femur, tibia, wheelchair, frequent flyer status with QANTAS and with multiple hospital emergency departments.
Chris has represented Australia nationally and internationally in surfing, indoor climbing, mountain biking and indoor skydiving. He has recently returned from a trip that included competing in the Indoor Para Skydiving World Series; Joining a team of Mountain Guides on Mont Blanc practicing and developing adaptive glacier traverse, ascent and self-rescue techniques and equipment; and participating in Ekstrem Sport Veko in Norway where he paraglided again for the first time since sustaining the Spinal Cord Injury.
Chris has always been passionate about sharing with others what he has learned and experienced in outdoor adventures.
He is the founder of Ådaptive Athlete Åcademy, a not-for-profit organisation providing opportunities for people living with disabilities to engage, participate & develop in activities & experiences beyond the standard. Ådaptive Athlete Åcademy partner with exceptional athletes & experts across various domains, using equipment specifically designed & developed to meet unique challenges, in environments that inspire åwe.
* All ticket sales from this event will go towards supporting Ådaptive Athlete Academy programs.
