St. Petersburg, FL – The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association (CSDA) is thrilled to announce that Paul de Gelder, a shark attack survivor-turned marine life conservationist who features in Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, will be the keynote speaker during the association’s 2018 Convention in Hawaii.
The association will hold its 46th Annual Convention & Tech Fair on the tropical island of Maui, March 6-10, 2018, at the majestic Grand Wailea – A Waldorf Astoria Resort. De Gelder is sure to be a wildly popular choice of keynote and Registration is Now Open for this unmissable event.
Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. These three words—a mantra de Gelder learned as a young paratrooper in the Australian Army—resonated with him the first time he heard them and helped him through his dramatic, life-changing experience. During an Australian Navy diving exercise in February 2009, Paul lost two limbs after being attacked by a bull shark. He fought through excruciating pain, overcame challenge after challenge and amazed medical staff with his will to succeed. This inspiring story takes the saying “never say die” to a whole new level and is sure to have CSDA Convention attendees on the edge of their seats.
“Paul’s story caught my attention during Shark Week several years ago, and Hawaii is the perfect place for him to bring his message of survival, perseverance and overcoming incredible odds to our industry,” says CSDA’s Erin O’Brien. “Not only does he have a thrilling story to tell, but his attitude on life really matches well with that of our association members.”
In the seven years since the attack, Paul’s life has changed in every aspect. He has become a fierce advocate for sharks and travels the world as a motivational speaker, passionate environmentalist and mentor to school kids. Paul has spoken at venues all around the world in front of thousands, from the United Nations in New York and the U.S. Navy in San Diego to keynotes for multimillion dollar corporations. He has also been a guest on several U.S. talk shows and has co-hosted six documentaries for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week including swimming with bull sharks—the species that attacked him. Learn all about de Gelder’s extraordinary life during what will be a thrill ride of a convention keynote in Maui.
The CSDA Annual Convention & Tech Fair is attended by owners, managers and operators from concrete cutting, polishing and imaging companies as well as representatives from manufacturers and distributors who support the industry with products and services. Anyone who is a part of this industry should join CSDA for this action-packed event. For more information or to register, visit www.csda.org/convention , call 727-577-5004 or email [email protected].
