Gary Anderson

Life doesn’t come with a manual. It’s unpredictable. It can knock you down hard—and stay there if you let it.

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I went through a childhood filled with experiences no child should ever face. I was exposed to abuse and trauma from the world around me—people and situations outside my control—that left deep scars. Those early wounds set me on a path of struggle. I broke every rule I could think of, spiraling into chaos: alcohol problems, time in jail, homelessness. I destroyed anything that came into my life that was good for me—and I mean anything. I hit rock bottom, so deep that I even tried to end my own life.

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Trauma has a way of shaping you without your permission. As Gabor Maté explains, unresolved trauma can hijack your life, trapping you in patterns of pain, shame, and self-sabotage. I lived that truth. But I refused to let it have the final word.

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As a boy, I had one burning dream: to serve my country. To wear the uniform. To stand for something bigger than myself. Life said no. That rejection cut deep, sending me further into chaos—but it didn’t extinguish that spark.

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Years later, through a different path, I found myself in warzones—not as a soldier, but as a Close Protection Operator and later a contractor. It wasn’t the dream I had imagined, but it gave me back purpose, discipline, and pride.

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The battle wasn’t only out there—it was inside me. Eight years under the care of a clinical psychologist, followed by four more in various therapies, saved my life. Without that support, I wouldn’t be here today.

I didn’t just survive—I thrived. I leaned into the pain, trained my mind and body, and transformed my suffering into strength. I became a coach, a counsellor, an NLP practitioner, Inspirational speaker and a self-defence instructor. I took the brutal lessons life handed me and combined them with professional training, so I could help others do what I did: face the storm, learn from it, and come out stronger on the other side.

I’ve walked through some of the darkest corners of life and found my way back. Now, I walk alongside others as they do the same.

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Resilience isn’t about being bulletproof. It’s about being honest. It’s about choosing to keep going—even when every part of you wants to stop.

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I take care of myself now—physically, mentally, spiritually—because I’ve seen the cost of neglecting it. And I help others do the same—not by preaching, but by showing up, knowing exactly what it feels like to be there.

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My mantra: I’ll never give up—‘til my time’s up.