Tim Thomas Travels from Brisbane, QLD

Tim had good parents, but since he felt like he didn’t fit in anywhere, he couldn’t stay at home. At 17 years old he told his parents of his intention to leave home in two weeks and never return. In his own words, “It’s hard to explain, I didn’t know why I had to do it. However, when I watched the movie ‘Into the WILD’ it was like I was watching a documentary on my own early journey. I realised I wasn’t the only one that had an unstoppable urge to be free and find my own limitations.”

He moved to the Northern Territory and started work on a remote cattle station, long hours, hard work, low pay. For the next seven years Tim worked very hard, but aimlessly. He observed hard workers were often taken advantage of and the lazy ones figured out how to work ‘the system’.

After an early ‘mid-life crisis’ at 25, Tim committed himself to studying martial arts full-time. By the late 90s, Tim was well known in the fledgling MMA scene; Which was known at the time as “no holds barred” fighting. Here he developed a better understanding of the mind-body connection. A connection which lead to several Australian titles.

After the Bali bombings, Tim saw that terrorism didn’t stay in it’s own country and doesn’t respect boundaries. So, in 2004 when the Australian Government offered the very first DRSF (Direct Recruiting Special Forces) scheme, Tim jumped at it. This intense learning curve tested Tim’s ‘Mind/Body connection’ to the limit. Ultimately however, it gave him success; Tim made his way into the elites of the Australian Army, as a Special Forces Commando.

Having served his country in Afghanistan and East Timor as a Commando, he left the Army in 2010. Once out, things started going very badly for him. He came to realise that what he had, was undiagnosed PTSD. He worked diligently on managing his own PTSD. During this long process, it became clear that many others were experiencing the same battles post service. After managing his own symptoms, he started helping others. Tim realised that “The shit that goes on in your life, can (and must be) made into fertiliser. That fertiliser is there to help you, and many others, GROW.”

So he began working full-time in the Veteran Recovery field.

From paid and voluntary work with charities like Mates4Mates, the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, and several others, on top of the public speaking engagements across business, sporting groups, high schools and media outlets, spreading a message that is powerful, positive and permanent.