To celebrate our Renal Society of Australia WA’s 25^th Annual Seminar, we were looking for something exceptional, someone special to talk to us, someone to inspire, motivate and encourage our 150 members who would be attending. Our day’s theme was ‘Celebrating our Silver - Going for Gold’, and when we heard about Patrick and what he had achieved, we were determined to invite him as a Keynote Presenter. 

So in the notoriously challenging post-lunch (slump) presenter time-slot Patrick did just that – walking us through his preparations for the ambitious Everest Climb the audience (of mostly kidney nurses) climbed with him through a series of stunning, spectacular and ultimately humbling photographs and video - and felt firsthand the physical challenges, heard the passionate commitment to his goal firsthand, left the event talking together about what a person can do when he or she sets his or her mind to it. Nurses wrote in the summing up of the day how they felt privileged to hear his story, felt compelled to embrace life more fully, to get the walking boots out and head to the hills!

An amazing talk that completely sat into our ‘Going for Gold’ theme: thank you Patrick. Keep inspiring your audiences as you did ours!

Jon Hosking

Clinical Nurse Specialist SCGH

Vice President, RSA WA