Paul Templer - The Hippo Guy

Paul Templer grew up in war-torn Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe) living an exotic life fraught with adventure, danger and fun. A young entrepreneur, he started a business running safaris on Africa’s mighty Zambezi River. Then came the attack. In one horrible moment, Paul’s hopes, dreams and livelihood were ripped from him. His life would never again be quite the same.

After two years of rehabilitation, therapy and depression, Paul made the choice to live life again – to live the life he wanted. Outfitted with a special one-armed paddle, he returned to his beloved Zambezi River – the same river where the hippo had tried to kill him – and led a nine-man crew of expert river guides on a three-month, 1,600-mile kayak expedition from the source of the river to its termination point at the Indian Ocean. The expedition launched the Make-A-Difference Foundation, which to date has raised more than $1 million worth of support for charities around the world.

Today, Paul lives in Michigan with his wife and two daughters. In addition to continuing the philanthropic work of his nonprofit, the Make-A-Difference Foundation, he divides his time between working as a management consultant, and inspiring audiences from all walks of life with his riveting, dramatic, and uniquely humorous story of how we create the life we want, one decision at a time.