“People who have overcome traumatic experiences make compelling conference speakers. Police officer Daryl Elliott Green lives not only to tell his story, but to motivate others” – MIX Magazine October/November 2017
In February 2017 I attended the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne. At the event, another attendee from Brisbane, Gail Sawyer, who is the Marketing & Communications Manager for the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, introduced me to Martin Donovan.
AIME Melbourne 2017
Martin Donovan
Martin is the editor of MIX – Asia’s leading MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) magazine.
As the last day of the conference was winding down, over a glass of wine, courtesy of the Macao trade & exhibition stand, Martin and I discussed our travels, love of South East Asia and our backgrounds that brought us to AIME.
Our friendly networking resulted in a three page TWICE SHOT® article in the print and online edition of the October/November 2017 MIX magazine.
I complimented Martin on the article and he responded:
Thanks for helping with the great content Daryl – it’s going to be a challenge to make the next edition look as good after that!
I am grateful for Martin’s humbling words.
The condensed version of the online article is available:
If you wish to receive an electronic copy of the full article which appears in the print magazine, please e-mail: [email protected]
In the lead up to celebrating 50 years of Mental Health Week (1967 – 2017), reporter Matt Young interviewed me and the story featured on the front page of news.com.au
The Australian Psychological Society approached me through ICMI Speakers Bureau to speak about how psychology assisted me after the shooting, for their event Why I Believe in Change, at Federation Square in Melbourne on Sunday 8th October 2017.
I will soon write about this experience and the amazing Queensland Police Service psychologist Chris Manktelow—a man also with an incredible true story—who provided incalculable assistance to my mental health.
I was speaking along with three other leading Australians:
Prior to the event senior reporter for News Corp Matt Young interviewed me.
Matt Young
He had done his research and one of the first things he said:
‘Your story is amazing, but I’ve never heard of it!’
I immediately thought of Eddie Cantor’s famous quote, “It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.” 😊
We spoke at length about the fateful night, when two colleagues and I were shot multiple times by deranged gunman Nigel Parodi, and the harrowing journey afterwards.
Matt went on to say, “…we can share your story with the world and help promote mental health.”
To accompany the article news.com.au created by agreement this social video using TWICE SHOT® footage and collateral:
Alan and Eileen Green, retired, holidaying in Thailand before the shooting rocked their world
It touches not just the individual, but their world, friends, colleagues and those closest to them. No one knows this better than my 85 year old father Alan and my late mother Eileen. I’m talking about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). If it was not for my parent’s unconditional love, I simply would not be here.
My mother and father were the glue that held me and my life together, whilst professionals—psychologists and psychiatrists—treated me for years during the worst stages of chronic PTSD.
I know from experience, the secondary causalities of PTSD are the sufferer’s loved ones – wife, partner, children, siblings, parents – the ones who see the effects of PTSD up close and personal. The depression, anger, anxiety, hyperarousal, dreams, flashbacks, withdrawal and massive personality changes.
One of my first memories of what I was going through affecting my parents, was in the first week after being released from hospital following the shooting.
I was having a nightmare and my father tried to wake me. As soon as he touched me I lashed out kicking at him repeatedly until I woke and realised where I was!
Love ones often feel helpless, are often overlooked by support services (although this is improving) and suffer in silence. For years I underwent intrusive operations to reconstruct my shattered mouth from that first bullet, with each procedure re-igniting the full fury of PTSD.
This is the damage the first bullet to my face inflicted…
Tony Dell
Tony Dell is the only first-class cricketer to serve in the Vietnam war and said, ‘I saw things in Vietnam that the human brain is not meant to experience…’. Forty years after his war service, his experiences led to a diagnosis of PTSD. Not the type to receive his TPI pension and do nothing, he founded Stand Tall for PTS to help reduce the condition’s stigma, educate and encourage governments to do more. In early 2017 he asked me to participate in a music film clip about the condition we share in common. He also asked, ‘Do you know anyone else touched by PTS who would be willing to contribute?’ You don’t need to be a Rhodes Scholar to know who I turned to! 😊
Despite his waning years, my dad was once again there for me and agreed to participate in the music film clip. However this time, he was not there solely for me. Anyone who knows my dad, knows his gentle kind and empathic nature – if he can help someone out, he’s the first to show up! Alan participated to help raise awareness of PTSD and in his own small way, try to make the road for the condition’s suffers and their loved ones, a little bit easier than we have had to traverse together.
Hint: Dad appears between 3 and 4 minutes.
The ‘Stand Tall’ music film clip will give you a true glimpse of what it is like living with PTSD and help you understand and better support those affected by the condition.
Please watch the film clip’s scenes and listen carefully to Tony’s own words based on his personal experiences.
More than 15 million Australians are affected by trauma and it is estimated that between 5 and 10 percent of the population will suffer PTSD at some point in their life (Source: Phoenix Australia).
If you wish to…
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Lastly I want to thank my father Alan, and my late mum Eileen, who no matter what life has thrown at us, through their unconditional love, support, sweat, tears and literally wiping away the blood, have and continue to inspire me each day to ‘keep going’.
2003: Alan and Eileen supporting Daryl in hospital during one of his numerous operations
In July 2017 I delivered the keynote address at Lifeline’s Annual Gala Dinner Awards Night with some very special people in the audience who touched my life in a profound way. These people support me and two in particular literally started me on my road to professional speaking.
My number one supporter was there on the night, my 85 year old father Alan, who along with my late mum Eileen, unwaveringly picked up the pieces with each shattering blow, both physical and mental, that I encountered on my long journey after the shooting.
One of the themes throughout the keynote was what can come from helping people out of the sheer kindness of your heart, which Lifeline epitomises with its over 11,000 volunteers.
I role played the shooting and a number of key turning points during the 45 minute talk. Two very dear friends were present in the audience that night, Joel Palmer and Michael Alafaci, who had stepped up to help me when they saw an opportunity to assist. I was able to share Joel’s and Mike’s stories of support and the ripple effect of their pure acts of kindness.
Daryl with great friend Joel Palmer
Joel owns a financial asset management business, Palmer Portfolios. He knew that I was speaking within the police and had a powerful story, but was a diamond in the rough when it came to presenting. He did not say anything to me, but he had an idea. At the opening celebration of a new business venture in 2014 he made a specific point of walking me over and introducing me to one of his friends and business associates. He said, ‘Hi Mike, I’d like you to meet Greeny, he has an interesting story.’
Daryl meeting his speaking coach and friend Michael Alafaci
I told Mike about my backstory and he listened intently. It turns out Mike is an Executive Performance Coach and one of his core professional services is teaching speaking and presenting skills. A few years later, Mike confided in me saying, ‘When we met mate, I knew you had a lot to offer the world by speaking, but I also knew you could not afford my fees!’ So he made a generous decision and volunteered his time and commenced coaching me in professional speaking. Next he introduced me to Professional Speakers Australia, encouraged me to apply for The Kerrie Nairn Scholarship for Public Speaking, which I was awarded in 2015, and became an amazing friend who continues to coach me to this day.
It was an honour to recognise my father, Joel and Mike in the keynote, and tell their stories of selfless kindness, which had a powerful butterfly effect, of not only helping me to ‘keep going’, but turn a traumatic event on its head and launch me into the world of professional speaking.
Lastly it was a privilege to recognise these same types of selfless acts of kindness demonstrated by Lifeline’s employees and thousands of volunteers each day around the country, helping those members of our community who may not be as fortunate to have a support network such as mine and are doing it tough.
It is a pure joy to support Lifeline’s work. After my talk, John Brogden AM, Chairman of Lifeline Australia had these humbling words to say…
Lifeline Australia’s 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention line is 13 11 14.
Please support Lifeline’s mission of An Australia Free of Suicide through volunteering your time or making a donation.
