Law degree, medical degree, key driver in research to help disabled people walk again, a leader in the emergency department at Gold Coast Hospital, in-demand guest speaker and now published author.
These are just some of the titles Dr. Dinesh Palipana OAM can lay claim to, and, as of today, he can add one more to his impressive resume by becoming the Gold Coast Titans STAR Ambassador.
Dr. Dinesh Palipana OAM is the epitome of the Titans values of selfless, trustworthy, accountable and relentless (STAR) and the club aims to live to these values in the same way Palipana has throughout his extraordinary life and career to date.
The honour has been bestowed upon Palipana on the back of the significant and unwavering support he has shown the club since his first interaction with the Titans in 2019.
Palipana, has championed the Titans cause at every turn from the moment he joined the club as Doctor of the Leagueability programme. Even making sure that former Prime Minister, and prominent Sharks supporter, Scott Morrison received a Titans jersey upon his meeting with Palipana as he received the Queensland Australian of the Year award in 2021.
Beyond just donating his time, Palipana has also been a regular donor to Titans Together, the club's charitable arm.
Palipana has donated over $20,000 to Titans Together, which has come through several of his guest speaking appearances across the nation.
He works for and advocates for the club, with no thought of reward. He is absolutely selfless, which is in line with one of the Titans' key values.
Earlier today Palipana presented to the wider Titans staff, players and coaches, sharing some of his journey to date as he promotes his new book, Stronger.
The book is a reflection on his life to date and Dinesh believes he is now happier, stronger and more capable than he was before his accident.
He believes it helped him to clarify what was important in his life, and taught him that happiness and strength can always be found within - something everyone can use in their own life.
So what's next for this amazing man? Well, resuming his flying lessons of course, and continuing to push the Titans cause at every turn.
Stronger
A puddle of water on a highway changed Dinesh Palipana's life forever. Halfway through medical school, Dinesh was involved in a catastrophic car accident that caused a cervical spinal cord injury. After his accident, his strength and determination saw him return to complete medical school - now with quadriplegia. Dinesh was the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland, and the second person with quadriplegia to graduate medical school in Australia.
Despite all of the pain and hardship he's faced, Dinesh now sees his accident as a turning point for the better in his life. He believes it has made him a better doctor, with a better grasp of the concerns and fears of his patients, and a more sensitive, open human. He fights for equal and equitable access for disabled people, and is a compassionate and skilled doctor working in one of Australia's busiest hospitals.
After everything he's been through, Dinesh believes he is now happier, stronger and more capable than he was before the accident. It helped him to clarify what is important in his life, and taught him that happiness and strength can always be found within.
About the Dr. Dinesh Palipana OAM
Dinesh Palipana OAM is a doctor, lawyer, disability advocate, and researcher. He became the first medical graduate with quadriplegia in Queensland, then the first graduate doctor with quadriplegia to begin work in the state. He was the second graduating doctor with quadriplegia to start working clinically in Australia.
Dinesh works at the Gold Coast University Hospital and Griffith University. He was the 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year. He was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2019. He was the third Australian to receive a Henry Viscardi achievement Award in New York, awarded in 2019.
You can purchase Stronger at all major bookstores or online at panmacmillan.com.au
