Paul Hockey

Paul Hockey had his right arm amputated at the shoulder on Anzac Day , 1963 due to bone cancer. He was just three weeks old.
At age eight, Paul began martial arts study. He now holds black belts in Shaolin Kung Fu (Chinese) and in Hapkido (Korean).
Some of Paul's previous careers include a Japanese speaking tour guide,

Paul has lost his step father, his father, his aunt and his mother to cancer. It was this that inspired Paul to climb Everest to honour their memories and to raise money for children's cancer research.

So began a five year journey that would eventually take Paul to the summit of Everest. As part of his training, he climbed the highest mountain in the southern hemisphere, Mt Aconcagua in the Andes.

But on his first Everest attempt in 2004, just 280 metres from the summit, Paul had to abandon the climb. His oxygen was too low, he was too slow and he had lost 15 kilos.

Paul was down, but not defeated.

As part of his training for his first Everest attempt, Paul carried 20 kilos of books in a backpack up a mountain road every second day for 10 km, for a full year.

So, for his second attempt, Paul carried 30 kilos of books, plus 2.5 kilo ankle weights up the same road. But this time he did it for 14km. And he did it EVERY day!

For Paul, being the person he is, his Everest attempt of 2004 wasn't a failure, it was the best practice run a bloke could have.
A man of his word, in 2005 Paul became the first and, to date, the only disabled person in the world to climb Everest from the North side.
But the climb had taken its toll on Paul. He returned home broken physically, having lost 20 kilos and his hair turned grey.

Upon his return Paul was inundated with messages from the parents of disabled kids and kids with cancer. He's given the keys to the city and speaks extensively to schools, universities and businesses.

Paul's plan for the future is to continue raising money for CCIA and spread awareness of their work.

Some of the topics Paul speaks on, include:
Motivation
How to develop a positive attitude using a wide range of philosophies and techniques. Paul has derived these methods from his twenty years of martial arts study and practice. He will take an audience to deaths door and back using his climbs (in particular, his attempts on Mt Everest) as the model, and how he became a World Record holder.

Inspiration
Using his life experiences as a martial arts expert and mountain climber, Paul has inspired thousands to "get up and into it." Impossible is just an opinion, not a fact. Paul lives by his motto, which is "Never give up...never ever give up!"

Adventure/ Outdoor
Paul spent 12 years with Japanese tourists snorkelling, diving, bungee jumping, rafting, skydiving and hiking. He has climbed in the NZ alps , the Andes (including Mt Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere at almost 7000 metres) and the Himalayas.
Paul imparts his attitudes , philosophies and beliefs to the audience in a passionate and sincere way. Corporate groups often implement programs within their system using Paul's philosophies and his summiting of Everest as their simulated model.
This is an outlook that not only saved Paul's life, but it took him to the summit of Everest with only one arm.

Disability
Paul has never considered himself disabled, but has been caught up in a grey area where he has been treated as disabled.
But Paul has done something that almost all able bodied people wouldn't have a chance of doing. So this unique combination puts him in a position to both help the disabled, and help the able-bodied better understand the disabled.
Paul speaks at schools for free on a regular basis and in return, they hold a fundraiser for the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia (CCIA). 10 percent of all p