Major Glenn Todhunter
On September 22 1995, Major Glenn Todhunter found himself trapped in the wreckage of his aircraft after it had crashed heavily from 200ft during a training flight. He almost died.
After several days in intensive care on life support, his journey back to health required amputation of both his legs below the knee and two months in hospital. What followed over the next eight years is a remarkable journey rebuilding his life learning to walk, drive and fly again.
After having been told he would never fly again for the Army with a disability, he succeeded in becoming the first and only amputee aviator to have served in the history of the Australian Defence Force. Today Glenn has flown both rotary and fixed wing aircraft for the Australian Army.
Glenn actively enjoys sharing his experiences with others, and he speaks about the human side of his journey touching on the distinction of courage, the realm of human achievement and never letting fear hold you back. Glenn enjoys visiting schools to help raise awareness of disability as a mainstream issue and has recently moved from Queensland to Tasmania.
In acknowledgement of his efforts, Glenn is the first non-doctor to be awarded lifetime honorary membership to the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine. He has been featured on the ABC’s Australian Story, and was selected as one of four finalists for the 2006 Suncorp Queenslander of the Year. Glenn’s personal yet powerful presentation style will inspire many audiences, and the lessons he learnt during this landmark journey are insight and perspective for us all!
"The only limits to extraordinary results in life - are the limits we pose upon ourselves…" Glenn Todhunter 2005