Behind The Shield

Bethany Hamilton is one of the world's most elite surfers, despite losing an arm at age 13. She is an author and the subject of her new documentary "Unstoppable". We discuss discovering her passion, overcoming physical and mental trauma, pregnancy, motherhood, chasing excellence and much more.Bethany Hamilton has become a source of inspiration to millions through her story of determination, faith, and hope. At the age of 13, Bethany lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark, which seemed to end her career as a rising surf star. One month after the attack, Bethany returned to the water and within two years had won her first national title.In 2007, she realized her dream of surfing professionally and since then, her story has been told in a New York Times best selling autobiography and in the 2011 film, Soul Surfer. Bethany is involved in numerous charitable efforts, including her own foundation, Friends of Bethany, which reaches out to amputees and youth, encouraging and offering hope to overcome through Jesus Christ. Using her platform as a professional athlete to promote living a fit and healthy lifestyle, she authored the book Body and Soul in 2014.Bethany’s latest project, Unstoppable, a surf documentary which showcases her as one of the best women surfers in the world, released theatrically in the USA on July 12, 2019, accompanied by a photo book and a children’s book.Passionate about helping young women be unstoppable in life and faith, Bethany has launched a new website and online course for sharing content and facilitating connection. Her greatest joy is being a wife and mother, and she continues to touch and inspire lives globally as a professional surfer and motivational speaker.https://bethanyhamilton.com/

Tom Hewitt MBE, is founder and CEO of Surfers Not Street Children. He has worked in the field with street children in Africa for over 28 years. In 1998 he founded the Durban Street Team which went on to be renamed Surfers Not Street Children in 2012. Tom was awarded and MBE by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 for his work with street children in Africa.Tom is perhaps most well known for his successful advocacy campaign to end the forced removals of street children in Durban, South Africa. These round-ups used to take place to “clean” the streets ahead of international conferences and events. He called for compassionate responses to street children based on psychosocial care. Tom is also well known for his model of fusing surfing with mentorship to empower street children in Durban. He assisted the national Department of Social Development in South Africa with its development of new policies around working with street children there. Tom has visited and often assisted street children projects in many different parts fo the world.https://www.surfnotstreets.org/

Dr Ben Sessa is a psychiatrist, author and one of the world’s leading researchers into the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs in a clinical or therapeutic setting. In this second conversation, we discuss the success of MDMA assisted psychotherapy, the psychedelic renaissance, British knife crime, the fiscal benefits of preventative healthcare and so much more.As a medical doctor, Dr Sessa provides psychiatric consultation through Bristol-based Mandala Therapy Limited, while his research focuses on psychopharmacology research with psychedelic medicines and MDMA therapy for mental disorders.Dr Sessa is also a co-founder and chair of the influential Breaking Convention conference, held annually in London. He has published widely in medical and academic journals, presents regularly on multimedia platforms, facilitates workshops and is a published author of fiction. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London.His books include The Psychedelic Renaissance, Advances in Psychedelic Medicine, Psychedelic Drug Treatments and his latest book, The Psychedelic Renaissance.

Aaron Heller began his fire service career in 1984. He recently retired as a Deputy Chief in the Hamilton NJ Fire Department assigned to oversee the Training Division. He previously served as the Fire Chief for the Hamilton Township Fire District #9. Deputy Chief Heller is a NJ Level 2 instructor and NJ fire official. He is a past chief of the New Egypt Volunteer Fire Company, where he currently serves s a fireman. He is a past chairman of the Plumsted Township Board of Fire Commissioners. Heller is a senior instructor with the Mercer County Fire Academy. He instructs and has been a presenter at several national, regional, and local training events throughout the United States and abroad. He has been published in Fire Engineering Magazine, Fire & Rescue Magazine, The Fire Department Training Network, and several local publications. He is a former co-host of Fire Engineering’s Humpday Hangout on Training. Aaron is a founding member of the Jersey F.O.O.L.S chapter of the Fraternal Order Of Leatherhead Society. Heller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University. He is the owner of On Scene Training Associates, LLC.https://onscenetraining.com/index.php

Nimsdai is a former Ghurka, member of the British SBS, record breaking mountaineer and author. We discuss his powerful journey into the special forces, Project Possible, mountain rescues, his new book "Beyond Possible",, environmentalism, forging an indomitable spirit and so much more.Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja MBEBorn in Nepal, Nims had a distinguished 16-year military career, of which he spent 6 years as a Ghurka and 10 years with the UK Special Forces (SBS). He has since become a truly historic mountaineer, accumulating an ever-growing list of record-breaking summits alongside many high-altitude rescue missions.Humble beginningsAstonishingly, Nims didn’t grow up in the shadow of the Himalayas, in fact he was born in the Dhaulagiri region of Nepal and raised in Chitwan, in the country’s flatlands. He performed well at school, but at that time there was no yearning to climb mountains instead he had another focus, to become a Gurkha in the British military like his father and brothers before him. In 2003 that dream became a reality when he joined the Gurkhas in 2003, at the age of eighteen.Never shy of pushing himself to another level #alwaysalittlehigher, six years later in 2009 he became the first ever Gurkha to join the UK Special Boat Service (SBS). The unit is predominantly made up of Royal Marines Commandos, and specialises in classified undercover raids. Along with the SAS, the SBS is regarded as the most elite unit in the British military.During this time, he developed an interest in mountaineering that quickly turned into a passion. It all began in December 2012, when on leave from his Special Forces duties, he set out on a trek to Everest Base Camp. This experience fired his passion and ambition for the mountains immediately, and not content with simply returning to Kathmandu, he managed to convince his guide to teach him how to climb ‘for real’ and he successfully summited the 6119-metre Lobuche East with his guide shortly after. It was his first peak.His primary focus and loyalty remained with his unit carrying out many tours and operations eventually leading to a role where he was subject matter expert for extreme cold-weather warfare within the mountain cell of the SBS. It was throughout this military chapter of his life where he developed the skills to quickly evaluate situations, then act to ensure the welfare of others balanced with delivering on the ultimate objective. An invaluable skillset that would transfer directly across to his climbing career.https://www.nimsdai.com/

Dr. John P. Sullivan is a Clinical Sport Psychologist and Sport Scientist who currently serves as the Head of Psychology at High Performance Sport New Zealand. With over 30 years of clinical, academic, and applied experience, he is internationally recognized for his contributions to the integration of psychology, neuroscience, and human performance. From 2000 to 2016, Dr. Sullivan served as Director of Sports Science and Clinical Care with the New England Patriots (NFL), playing a key role during one of the most successful periods in the team’s history. His expertise has also been sought by a range of elite organizations, including the English Premier League, The Football Association, Premier Rugby League, Australian Football League, and numerous Olympic National Teams. Across his career, he has supported athletes and professionals across 43 different sports—spanning individual, team, combat, and motorsport disciplines. In addition to his work in sport, Dr. Sullivan has served as a subject matter expert for highperformance environments in the military and aerospace sectors. He has advised U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on critical topics including neurological resilience, decision-making, concussion, and human performance under pressure. A committed contributor to the scientific community, Dr. Sullivan has authored peer-reviewed articles and has been featured in leading media outlets such as The Atlantic, The Guardian, The New York Times, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated. He is the co-author of The Brain Always Wins, with a second edition The Brain Always Wins 2 released in 2025. He is also currently working on two forthcoming books — one exploring human factors in sport, and the other examining the fundamentals of science and their critical relevance in today’s post-truth era. Dr. Sullivan maintains academic appointments as a Visiting Scholar at Queensland University of Technology and has previously served on faculty at Brown University Medical School and the University of Rhode Island Psychology and Neuroscience departments. Originally from the United States, Dr. Sullivan previously practiced and taught in Washington, D.C., and Newport, Rhode Island, before relocating to New Zealand to continue his work in supporting athletes, coaches, and systems through a brain-first approach to performance and wellbeing.https://thebrainalwayswins.carrd.co/

Carl Mackenzie is an award winning Writer & Director, who is passionate about creating commercially accessible stories with a social commentary. We discuss his journey into filmmaking, veteran mental health, knife crime and so much more. Carl is a member of Directors UK and BAFTA. In 2016, Carl made his directorial debut with short film 'The Interrogation of Olivia Donovan'. The film screened at a special showcase at BAFTA 195 and was also awarded the Jury Special Mention for Outstanding UK Film at Manchester Film Festival 2017. This was quickly followed by his second short film 'Just a Day'. ​Carl is currently in pre-production for his debut feature film 'Unseen Scars'. He is also developing feature film 'A Walk in the Darkness' and preparing to release his debut novel.https://www.carlmackenzie.com/​

Harry Turner is an Emmy winning filmmaker, with his film and life story – Wildcat. He deployed with the British Army at 18 and returned home with severe PTSD. With his life forever changed and not knowing what the future held, he left everything behind and fled to the Amazon rainforest. There, Harry found the peace his mind so desperately needed, but it opened the door to so much more healing. He had the opportunity to also heal two orphaned ocelots, and it awakened something indescribable in him. Now, with his non-profit organization, Emerald Arch, he hopes to help more veterans with PTSD while also protecting land in the Ecuadorian Amazon. His story showcases trauma, resilience, and determination while navigating the darkest parts of his mental health. When not working with wild animals or the land in which they live, Harry writes in the beautiful Pacific Northwest while enjoying all nature has to offer with his wife and their two dogs.Emerald Arch was formed in 2022 for the purpose of aiding environmental conservation on a global scale. Individually, all of our members have come face to face with the devastating reality of rainforest deforestation and have felt the consequences firsthand.Between raging wildfires throughout the Amazon rainforest to animals being ripped from their natural habitats for the wildlife trade, we have seen enough. Experiences like these are what drove us to form Emerald Arch. Each of us have been doing what we can to contribute to the cause, but together, our scope is wider and our success is greater.With Emerald Arch and your support, we will work tirelessly and passionately to fight these unending conservational battles.https://www.emeraldarch.org/

Jules and Gédéon Naudet are the French brothers behind the documentaries 9/11, November 13 and Notre Dame to name a few. We discuss their childhood in Paris, studying film in NYU, what took them to the FDNY, their accounts of September 11, the heroism at the 2015 Paris attacks, saving Paris' most treasured landmark and so much more.Jules and Gedeon Naudet, brothers and filmmakers, shot, produced and directed the iconic documentary 9/11, which has been compared, for its historical significance, to the Zapruder film of JFK’s assassination. Airing on CBS, 9/11 was highly honored in television, including Emmy, Peabody and DuPont awards. Jules and Gedeon produced and directed for CBS In God’s Name: an intimate look at the lives of the world’s great religious leaders.The Naudets produced and directed The Presidents’ Gatekeepers for Discovery Channel, a riveting account of five decades of presidential history seen through the eyes of all twenty living White House chiefs of staff. Most recently, they produced and directed The Spymasters: CIA in the Crosshairs, a documentary film airing on Showtime and CBS featuring all twelve living CIA directors.Jules and Gédéon’s most recent Documentaries are November 13 on Netflix and Notre Dame: Our Lady of Paris.

Aye Hood is a former rapper turned comedian from Shreveport. We discuss his childhood in Louisiana, the power of parenting, what pulls our youth into gangs, using social media for good, drug prohibition and so much more.