From science teacher to extreme survivalist

Phil Breslin catches a shark with his bare hands. Source: Supplied

A QUEENSLAND science teacher has left the safety of the classroom in order survive some of Australia and New Zealand's most hostile environments.

Phil Breslin has battled exhaustion and fought currents on a makeshift raft while crossing crocodile and shark infested waters.

Phil Breslin has stepped away from the humble life of a teacher to make survival documentaries. Source: Supplied

He has trekked some of our most rugged outback terrain in search of food and battled freezing conditions in some of New Zealand's most unforgiving landscapes.

But the schoolteacher claims he isn't an adrenalin junkie looking for a fix, rather he is on a mission to educate people on survivalism and traditional cultures through National Geographic's upcoming program Wild Survivor.

"The scariest moment for me came when I was navigating a raft through 12 metre currents while narrowly avoiding whirlpools and underwater objects," he said.

"At times I thought the raft might split and because I wasn't wearing a life jacket I would have been sucked under the water with no chance of survival.
"It doesn't matter what health and safety regulations are put in place because the natural world doesn't abide by risk assessments."

This philosophy would have undoubtably been in the back of his mind when the 31-year-old pulled a large shark out of waters at the Kimberly with his bare hands.
"Nature is a harsh creature and you have to show it the proper respect, so when I handled the shark I played to my strengths.

"The thing about water is it makes our speed, intelligence and agility futile.

"That's why I made sure to battle the shark in shallow waters. If I was neck deep that could have gone very differently."

Apart from the obvious predators he faced, Breslin said his greatest nemesis was the cold temperatures in New Zealand's Rotorua region.

"When I crossed the river in New Zealand it was the temperature I was concerned about," he said.

"If I fell into the water I would have almost certainly blacked out from the cold.

"A lot of Australians grow up in a land of deadly reptiles and think New Zealand would be a breeze, but having to deal with freezing conditions 24/7 is far from easy."

Science and his indigenous heritage played a vital role for Phil Breslin. Source: Supplied

After feeling constrained with the traditional high school working environment, Breslin approached the Indigenous Schooling Support Unit and developed the Deadly Science land management course.

Mainly based outdoors, the program connected young people to the land by linking traditional knowledge and values with modern environmental science concepts.

It was during this period he flirted with the concept of a documentary television series.

"I made couple of small videos to use in the classroom as part of the course," he said.

"Then I thought why limit these concepts to a classroom when I could literally reach millions of people."

Channelling the competitive nature derived from growing up with six brothers, Breslin enlisted the help of a few close friends and together they set out on a journey that would drastically alter the course of his life.

"We travelled across the country and filmed a demo tape that was more of a cultural journey than just the survivalism you normally see on television," he said.

"I'm not Bear Grylls, I'm not even a survival expert and I haven't been trained by the Special Forces. I was just a guy who grew up in North Queensland.

"No one even knew how to use a camera properly, but we somehow managed to piece something together and sent it off to Prospero Productions."

As testament to his hard work, the demo reel was passed onto National Geographic and the show got the green light.

Phil Breslin will survive the traditional way in some of Australia and New Zealand's most extreme environments. Source: Supplied

The schoolteacher said being an indigenous Australian and holding a degree in science helped him adapt to the survival situations.

"Everything I have learnt has come from textbooks, my own studies and traditional owners of the land," he said.

"Science is involved in every aspect of life and it's just a matter of unpacking that information.

"I guarantee you will discover that science is a universal language with shared concepts and principles as long as you are willing to listen, look and learn."

In regards to school teaching, the survivalist thinks he'll continue on this path before making a return to the classroom.

"I find the classroom too structured and I am happy to be given an opportunity to make something educational," he said.

"As well as being a living version of my PowerPoint, I am able to take my shirt off and we all know you can't do that in a traditional workplace."

Wild Survivor will premiere on National Geographic Monday 16 March at 9.30pm.

Can Aussie science teacher Phil Breslin survive Australia and New Zealands most dangerous regions? Courtesy: Nat Geo

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