Peter Hughes Travels from Perth, WA

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Achievements
Inspirational
Men's Health
Mental Health
Motivational
Overcoming Adversity
Personal Development
Resilience

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Peter Hughes was the man whose swollen and blistered face we saw on television during the shocking first hours of the news coverage from the Bali bombings in October 2002.

He literally took our breath away when we heard him quietly tell rescuers he was okay and to help those worse off than him. Looking at him, we could see that he was badly injured himself. And indeed he was. Later, he lapsed into a month-long coma during which he briefly died three times while on life support. He later went on a long recovery program under the tough love of Australian of the Year Dr Fiona Wood.

As a public speaker, Peter’s personal account of Bali and the Australian spirit has been given to hundreds of groups. Peter’s positive message is reality based, filled with wisdom and inspiration, shaped by a lifetime of learning as well as his experiences as part of the Bali bombing tragedy. Peter’s humorous, anecdotal and compelling talk motivates and moves audiences to exceed personal and professional expectations.

Corporations, sporting groups, associations, schools and other groups looking for inspiration and motivation in their own lives will not be disappointed by Peter’s account of that day and life beyond ‘Bali’.

Peter Hughes was in many ways an ordinary Australian. Born the youngest of eight children to Irish immigrants, he was raised in the working class suburb of Queens Park in Perth. Peter believes a lot of his resilience and inner strength was developed during his childhood years growing up in a tough neighbourhood.

He was always a keen footballer and cricketer and continued with sport throughout his childhood and into his working life as a roof tiler. It may have been his passion for the sport that saw him start a friendship with AFL footballers Jason McCartney and Mick Martyn, who Peter and his son planned to meet up with when they arrived in Bali on October 12, 2002.

Peter provides an emotional yet uplifting story from an ordinary Australian who is now described as a 'hero' and one who has triumphed against the worst odds. He feels it is his place in life now to provide other Australians with hope and inspiration whilst also utilising this journey as a way to say thank you to all Australians who were touched by this horrific event. It seemed in the aftermath of the tragedy that almost everyone knew one of the victims or knew someone who did. We are all connected somehow. It is also a testament to courage, mateship, and the remarkable resilience of the human spirit to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

Peter’s recovery has been remarkable and he owes this to the support and love of friends, family and complete strangers from all walks of life.

His book, Back from the Dead, and his public speaking engagements are an opportunity to hear Peter's gripping and personal account of the day terrorism cast its deadly shadow on Australia… as told by the man who was the first face we saw after that fateful day. This is the unforgettable story of the unimaginable - the day we as Australians were no longer immune to acts of terrorism as told by the man who was just an ordinary person who became an accidental hero.

Peter returned to Bali on 12 October 2022 to "pay his respects to the people who didn’t come home, and all the families that lost their loved ones," he said.

Today Peter is making the most of life and besides running a successful business, Peter is still in demand nationally as a public speaker.