Dan Pronk

Dan Pronk had a profoundly average Australian upbringing, the son of an army helicopter pilot father and speech therapist mother, he had one brother and a cat growing up. After attending seven schools and getting expelled from one, he graduated high school with average grades and began the ambitious pursuit of a career in professional triathlon. Five years later when that failed, on a whim he applied for the army and sat the entrance test for medical school, being successful in both and setting him on a trajectory to becoming an army doctor. A year later an encounter with a group of Special Forces soldiers led to a lightbulb moment for Dan, he had to join Special Forces and be a part of what they do. The only problem was it would be six years before he would be allowed on the Special Forces selection course. Undeterred, Dan set his sights on Special Forces selection and year-in, year-out bettered himself with a view to passing the course. In 2008 Dan successfully completed the Australian Special Air Service Regiment’s selection course and went on to become one of Australian Special Operations’ most highly deployed and decorated doctors. After five years with Special Forces Dan discharged to pursue a career in civilian medicine, as well as further study in the form of a Master of Business Administration. Demons from Dan’s military time would catch up with him after discharge and following a period of struggle with Post-traumatic Stress, he emerged out the other side a stronger person, experiencing Post-traumatic Growth. Post-army Dan has gone on to an executive role in medical management, as well as co-owning the multimillion dollar company TacMed Australia and founding several other entrepreneurial startups. He stays engaged with tactical medicine through serving as a board member of the Australian Tactical Medical Association and as the medical director of TacMed. He lives in South Australia with his wife and three boys and drives his vintage Lamborghini in the hills whenever he can.