What's Left of Me

The transition from Zimbabwe to Beverly Hills, Michigan would be challenging for anyone, even for those with advantage.  So, “with no money, no job and no arm”, Paul Templer faced more than the usual obstacles. As his story reveals, with an acute sense of what is possible, Paul tackled his pursuit of the American dream with the same determination he used to fight the rogue hippo that almost took his life.  And he was victorious in both battles. 


Paul’s story begins in 1978, when he was a nine-year old Rhodesian boy whose life-as-usual included going to school in an armored vehicle and having a clear understanding that the terrorists determined to take over his country didn’t discriminate when it came to killing people.  As Rhodesia settles into becoming Zimbabwe, Paul develops an aversion to settling at all. From England, to Israel, to a brief stint in India, Paul’s life begins to read like a travelogue.  Refusing to get “a proper job”, Templer discovers his niche as a river safari guide taking tourists along the Zambezi River. 


And life was as grand as an African sunset until, on one particular “bad day at the office”, a rogue hippo tragically alters Paul’s idyllic life, leaving him near-death and despondent.  


It is at this point that Paul embarks upon a “safari” even more unpredictable than the mighty Zambezi. With the support of family and friends, Paul’s life eventually catapults from a hospital room to the world stage as word travels around the globe about the African safari guide who survived a hippo attack.  


And this is only the middle of Paul’s story.