DANGER ADDICT

Mark Direen was blown up by bomb and lived to tell the story. The Tasmanian retired special forces sergeant was in an open, long-range patrol vehicle in Afghanistan in 2007 when the tyres hit an Improvised Explosive Device. “They make their explosive devices themselves and they had put this one into the road and when the vehicle ran over it, it blew up,” Direen says.

When the explosion’s shockwaves passed through his body, they caused extensive soft-tissue damage, mass swelling and compressed his vertebrae. “I don’t recall the blast, but I do remember time slowing down and all the dust and being thrown from the vehicle,” he says.

Direen, still in the Army Reserve, takes clients to dangerous parts of the world. He also runs self-development and personal safety workshops from a Cambridge training site. Recently while taking a client on a 500km hike in Israel, he was attacked by a pack of wild dogs. “You need a bit of experience to be able to handle that,” he says. “You can’t just turn your back on dogs and run or they will run you down to the ground.”

He did the Kokoda Track for the first time this year walking 125km and says he found it relatively easy. “It rained the whole time and was wet and muddy.”

He enjoys teaching others how to tap their mental strength and covers some of the skills he picked up in East Timor and his five tours of Afghanistan. His workshops cover goal setting and mental toughness and how to overcome fear and self doubt.

Direen will share his story from 2pm5pm on Sunday, November 10, at North Hobart Football Club’s old clubhouse at the Argyle St ground. For more information head to @point_assist