Unbowed

A Soldier’s extraordinary journey back from paralysis

By Billy Hedderman   

Published by Big Sky Publishing  LINK HERE

RRP $34.99, 288pp, Paperback, ISBN 9781922265494

Readers of this book have been lavish in their praise, describing it as ‘inspirational’, an ‘incredibly powerful story’ and an ‘inspiring read’.

Billy Hedderman left his native Ireland and his career as an officer in the elite Special Forces unit, the Army Ranger Wing of the Irish Army, for a new life in Australia and a new career in the Australian Army in 2014, accompanied by his wife Rita.

He could not have imagined that he would start the New Year in the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, diagnosed quadriplegic with a damaged but not completely severed spinal cord, the result of a catastrophic injury while body-boarding on the Sunshine Coast on 31 December 2014. 

When asked if he would walk again, his doctor simply said, ‘I dunno … maybe.’  Yet, incredibly, within just seven months of his injury, he was able to beat the odds and run a 10km race in under an hour.

This is the powerful and inspiring story of Billy’s recovery as well as an interesting account of his experiences of military service in two defence forces. 

It is, without doubt, the resilience he gained from his military training that helped him to recover from the catastrophic injury he suffered and enabled him to continue to serve as an Infantry Officer in the Australian Army. 

It is a story of personal resilience and mental toughness, which serves as an inspiration to anyone suffering physical and mental challenges.

To hear more about Billy Hedderman’s story, listen to ABC Conversations PODCAST at this link.

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