Peter Hughes became known to Australians as the severely injured man whose swollen and blistered face appeared on television screens around the country during the first hours of coverage following the 2002 Bali bombings.
In the midst of unimaginable devastation, Peter quietly told rescuers he was okay and urged them to help those worse off than him. In the weeks that followed, he slipped into a month-long coma, died three times, and was repeatedly revived by medical teams determined to save his life.
What followed was an extraordinary journey of recovery, resilience, and purpose.
More than two decades later, Peter continues to share the lessons he learned from surviving one of Australia's darkest moments. While the Bali bombings changed his life forever, they also reinforced his belief in the strength of the Australian spirit, the importance of community, and the power of hope.
Beyond his experience as a survivor, Peter built a successful career in the construction and roofing industries, operating businesses for more than 30 years. His experiences in business, leadership, adversity, and personal recovery allow him to connect with audiences from all walks of life.
Peter's presentations are honest, emotional, humorous, and deeply inspiring. He speaks about courage, mateship, resilience, gratitude, mental strength, and the people who carried him through his darkest days—family, friends, medical professionals, and complete strangers whose kindness helped shape his recovery.
As the author of Back From the Dead and currently working on a new book exploring survival, recovery, and the lessons learned from tragedy, Peter continues to inspire audiences across Australia.
Whether speaking to corporations, sporting clubs, schools, community groups, emergency services personnel, or industry conferences, Peter delivers a powerful message: no matter how difficult the circumstances, hope, resilience, and human connection can carry us further than we ever imagine.
Talking Points
Keynote Presentations
As a public speaker, Peter Hughes’ positive message is filled with wisdom and inspiration, shaped by a lifetime of learning as well as his experiences as a survivor of the Bali bombing tragedy and subsequently, life beyond ‘Bali’. Today, Peter is making the most of life and is running a successful business in Perth.Keynote Presentations
Audience: Corporations, sporting groups, associations, schools and other groups looking for inspiration and motivation in their own lives - they will not be disappointed.
Key Takeaways:
- Inspiration
- Motivation
- HopePeter Hughes speaks from direct experience that most people will only encounter in the news. His presentations draw on the 2002 Bali bombings, a month-long coma, three clinical deaths, and more than two decades of reflection on what those events taught him about human strength, community, and the will to keep going. Peter speaks across a range of interconnected themes including resilience and overcoming adversity, leadership in crisis, mental strength and recovery, the power of mateship, and building a life and career after trauma. His approach is honest, personal, and grounded in 30-plus years of professional experience alongside his survival story. Audiences leave with more than inspiration; they leave with a clear sense of what it looks like to carry themselves and others through difficulty.
This Keynote can be tailored to explore:
- Resilience and overcoming adversity
- Leadership during crisis
- Mental strength and recovery
- The power of community and mateship
- Lessons from survival and trauma
- Business, leadership, and life after adversity
Thank you for your recent guest appearance at the Wellbeing Workshop at the 2006 AMSA Convention in Perth last month. This was the first time MDA National sponsored a workshop of this kind ... keep reading MDA National Insurance
Mr Peter Hughes was an excellent guest speaker. He inspired all the students in the class by telling his remarkable and courageous story. Everyone was pleased with his presentation and more than happy to shake his hand, the hand of a Bali bomb survivor. Peter presented himself well and was a pleasure to have at our school. I greatly appreciated his presence.
Our members were deeply moved by this personal experience and the courage Peter displayed in Bali. While we have read and heard media reports of the Bali tragedy, Peter's own personal account graphically illustrated the real impact that this event had on ordinary people.
Peter came across as a "natural, freestyle" speaker. His spontaneity, sincerity and his subject matter captivated the audience. Many of our guests had attended previous AGMs at this hospital and said that they found him to be the best speaker yet. We were delighted and appreciative of the fact that he could join us just before the anniversary of the Bali bombings.
Peter's presentation was simply outstanding! He spoke for 50 minutes and through the whole time you could literally hear a pin drop. I have spoken to a lot of people since and they could not get over how they thought Peter only spoke for about 20 minutes. There is no doubt that Peter had the 80 strong audience totally captivated. He hits the mark beautifully with the way he mixes up the Peter Hughes story, the Australian spirit, the actual tragedy of events that is Bali and what lies ahead for all of us. It is moving and inspirational and delivered in a very down to earth style that displays the courage of just an ordinary bloke.
Peter kept the audience utterly engrossed with his account of the Bali bombing and his later fight for survival. We received very positive feedback from our delegates on having Peter as our guest speaker
Peter's talk left us stunned in silence, humbled in his experience and emotionally charged! As Chairman I thanked him personally for his delivery and realised that there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Throughout his talk you could hear a pin drop and for days after I received calls from attendees thanking me for coordinating Peter Hughes to talk! I would recommend that any group of people from any background or profession looking for a speaker consider Peter Hughes!
