Even if you don’t know Dr Richard Harris’s name, you will certainly remember the story of the 12 young soccer players and their coach who found themselves trapped inside a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018.

Richard was the anaesthetist involved in the rescue mission and played a pivotal role in saving the lives of the boys involved. As part of the rescue, he was required to dive, swim and climb to safety along a pitch-black tunnel barely big enough for an adult to fit through.

Risking his own life, he was the last person to come out of the caves on completion of the mission.

Richard was awarded the Star of Courage for unwavering and selfless bravery following the successful rescue of the trapped soccer team, the Order of Australia for “service to the international community”, and in 2019, Richard and Dr Craig Challen were named as the first dual Australians of the Year.

Richard currently works for the South Australian Ambulance medical retrieval service and is also an author.

Richard co-wrote Against all Odds, the inside account of the Thai cave rescue alongside Dr Craig Challen. His second book, The Art of Risk, explores what we can learn from the world’s leading risk takers and features talks with people like climber Alex Honnold and sailor Jessica Watson, among many others.

Richard believes that by doing “the hard things” in life you can push yourself a little further and become stronger, more courageous and resilient.