When everyone else swam for shore, Charlie Verco paddled the other way: straight towards a great white shark. On a clear, busy Saturday morning at Coogee Beach in June 2026, the 25-year-old surf lifesaver and elite board paddler was training when a woman, Leah Stewart, was attacked just ahead of him. What he did next made headlines around the world. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains detailed descriptions of a shark attack and serious injury that some listeners may find distressing. A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners! We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This. From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening. If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this. And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning. More on Charlie Verco's incredible story of courage: Charlie grew up a North Bondi nipper and is now one of the country’s best ocean paddlers, the youngest ever winner of the Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard World Championships. In this conversation he walks Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt through the rescue minute by minute: reading the shark’s behaviour, the moment Leah was dragged under, towing her to shore one-armed when she lost consciousness, and the lifeguards and paramedics whose training saved her life on the sand. It is a story about courage, but Charlie is uneasy with the word hero. He talks honestly about fear, adrenaline and imposter syndrome, how surf lifesaving and sport trained him to think under extreme stress, what a shark expert later told him, and why he is now urging two things: better shark safety on Australian beaches, and for people to donate blood. In this conversation, Charlie Verco joins Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt to talk about the Coogee Beach shark attack, what it takes to act in a crisis, fear of the ocean, surf life saving, and why blood donation saves lives. This episode covers: The Coogee Beach great white shark attack: what Charlie Verco saw on Saturday 13 June 2026 Why he paddled towards the shark instead of swimming to safety What it is like to come face to face with a great white shark How surf lifesaving training and Ironman racing prepared him to act under extreme stress Towing an unconscious woman to shore one-armed on a paddleboard What a shark expert later told him about great white behaviour The beach response: tourniquets, lifeguards and the teamwork that saved a life Managing fear, adrenaline and the shakes after a traumatic rescue Going back into the ocean: how Charlie feels about the water now Shark safety in Australia: drones, detection and what he thinks needs to change On being called a hero, and the imposter syndrome that comes with it Why he is urging Australians to donate blood, especially O negative If this conversation raises issues for you, support is available. In Australia, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support. To support the cause Charlie raises in this episode, you can donate blood through Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (O negative is especially needed in emergencies). Donate blood (Australian Red Cross Lifeblood): https://www.lifeblood.com.au Support Leah Stewart (family GoFundMe): https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-leah-stewart-victim-of-shark-attack-in-coogee Follow Charlie Verco on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/char1ieverco/ 🎧 Listen to You’re Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864 Listen and follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vsxq2nZIMJLnywOXfuxqZ 👀 Watch and subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marieclaireau Credits: Host: Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt Supervising Producer: Leah Porges Head of Vodcasting: Rachel Fountain Learn More: You’re Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
