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Todd Maguire

@todd_author_donny_

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📖 DONNY — A Story of Survival
🎙️ Truth. Identity. Resilience.
🎬 Author • Speaker • Creator
👇 Discover DONNY

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Undercover Cop with a Death Wish - on Spotify channel REAL LIFE WITH BEL. My guest is @Todd Maguire | Author and this episode will have you thinking about it long after you’ve listened.

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POV: You’re an undercover cop in the middle of a pine forest with men suspected of murder.

They start searching the ground.

You become convinced they’ve figured out who you really are, you’re about to be killed, and you start quietly saying goodbye to your family into the wire so if you’re ever found - someone can hear your final words.

And then…

They find the guns.

Turns out nobody was planning to bury anyone that day.

They had already buried the fucking merchandise. 😭

Just another perfectly normal day in the life of undercover cop Todd Maguire, AKA Donny Wilson.

🎙️ Todd tells me what happened when an undercover gun buy suddenly looked a whole lot more like his own murder in this week’s No Hard Feelings…Kinda.

“Be Careful What You Say or You’ll Give Yourself Away”

🎧 Listen now on YouTube. Link is in the comments and in bio.

Don’t forget to come poke around on the website! There’s a lot of new, fun stuff!

www.nohardfeelingskinda.com

#ToddMaguire #DonnyWilson #UndercoverCop #UndercoverPolice #truecrime AustralianTrueCrime QueenslandPolice PoliceStories UndercoverOperation OrganizedCrime TrueCrimePodcast PodcastClip PodcastRecommendation

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𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁.

Donny Wilson did.

After losing his partner Karen to suicide, Queensland police officer Todd Maguire was drinking heavily, drowning in grief and, by his own admission, not particularly concerned with self-preservation.

So naturally, this seemed like an excellent time to become an undercover cop. 😳

Todd became 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 and disappeared into Queensland’s criminal underworld, infiltrating dangerous circles involving drugs, violence and organized crime.

And somehow, becoming someone else was the easy part.

In this episode, Todd tells me what undercover police work actually looks like when Hollywood gets the hell out of the way. We talk about earning criminals’ trust, close calls, living two identities, the psychological toll of undercover work, 27 years of accumulated police trauma, complex PTSD, grief, alcohol, and the uncomfortable question at the center of his story:

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗲…𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲?

We also talk about his memoir, 𝘿𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙮 – 𝘼𝙣 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝, and what happened when Todd finally stopped running long enough to deal with the man underneath Donny.

🎙️ 𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗔𝗬 𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗟𝗟 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬

New episode of 𝘕𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴...𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢.

🎧 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦.

ALL THE WAYS TO FIND TODD ONLINE:

https://toddmaguire.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/todd.maguire.716/

https://www.instagram.com/todd_author_donny_/

@todd_author_donny_

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1764384407?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

#NoHardFeelingsKinda #ToddMaguire #DonnyWilson #UndercoverCop #UndercoverPolice TrueCrime AustralianTrueCrime QueenslandPolice PoliceStories PoliceMentalHealth ComplexPTSD PTSDRecovery MensMentalHealth TraumaRecovery Grief MentalHealthPodcast TrueStory PodcastRecommendation PodcastEpisode BehindTheBadge

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He became an undercover cop—but beneath the danger and adrenaline was something much deeper.

After devastating loss, retired Australian Detective Sergeant Todd McGuire threw himself into a life where he didn’t care if he survived.

Years later, he’s telling the story not just of what happened undercover, but of the grief, trauma and mental health struggles he spent years trying to outrun.

Todd shares that journey in his book, Donnie: An Undercover Cop with a Death Wish—a story of adversity, recovery and learning that vulnerability can be a strength.

🎧 Hear Todd’s full story on Why Not Me? Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide.

📖 Donnie: An Undercover Cop with a Death Wish is available through Todd’s website in Australia and through Amazon/Kindle internationally.

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UNDERCOVER COP WITH A DEATH WISH - on Spotify channel REAL LIFE WITH BEL @Todd Maguire | Author

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Not every important conversation needs to happen face to face.

For Todd Maguire, some of the best conversations happen shoulder to shoulder.

A walk. A drive. A park bench. Sitting beside a mate.

Removing the pressure of eye contact can make it easier to talk — and sitting beside someone sends a simple message:

I’m on your side.

Sometimes, supporting someone isn’t about having the right words.

It’s just about being beside them.

Who needs you beside them right now?

🎧 EP039 | BECOMING DONNY — Todd Maguire

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When something extreme starts to feel ordinary, it’s probably worth paying attention.

Todd Maguire was heading into an operation involving offenders believed to have machine guns.

The plan? Drive a Landcruiser through the garage door and move fast.

Todd was asleep on the way there.

Looking back, it wasn’t the fact he could sleep that stood out. It was that another high-risk job barely registered.

“Another one.”

For Todd, that became a sign that years spent operating at a heightened level had taken their toll — and something needed to change.

🎧 EP039 | BECOMING DONNY — Todd Maguire

#veterans #firstresponders #podcast #resilience #mentalhealth

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Some lessons only make sense looking backwards.

For Todd Maguire, becoming Donny offered an escape at a time when dealing with everything else felt too hard.

Years later, he can see that period — and the behaviours that came with it — very differently.

This week’s BTB | HOTWASH pulls out five lessons from our conversation with Todd: from what can sit behind high performance and risk-taking, to the value of lived experience, vulnerability, and simply sitting shoulder to shoulder with someone who needs to talk.

What will you carry forward?

🎧 EP039 | BECOMING DONNY — Todd Maguire
Available now.

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“Your name is now Donny Wilson.”

Not long after losing his partner Karen, Todd Maguire stepped into the world of undercover policing.

For Todd, becoming “Donny” wasn’t just a new identity for the job.

It became an escape.

A world of crooks, drugs, risk and no rules — while everything Todd was carrying could be pushed somewhere else.

Looking back, he sees that period very differently.

EP039 | BECOMING DONNY — Todd Maguire

🎧 Full episode available now.

#firstresponders #veterans #podcast #resilience #mentalhealth

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Where stories come to life 📚

The Eumundi Writers Festival once again showcased the incredible power of words to inspire, challenge and connect communities. From thoughtful conversations and creative workshops to celebrating established and emerging voices, the festival highlighted the rich literary talent and storytelling culture that thrives across the Sunshine Coast.

This event was a reminder that stories do more than entertain. They help us understand one another, preserve our history, spark new ideas and strengthen community connection.

A personal highlight was seeing people of all ages come together to share a love of reading, writing and lifelong learning. There is something truly special about a community that values creativity, curiosity and the exchange of ideas, and Eumundi continues to embody that spirit.

And it was great to catch up with the first Mayor of the Sunshine Coast Bob Abbot!! I used to interview Bob in the 90s!

The best part?.. The festival is set to come back next year! For more information, visit: https://eumundiwritersfestival.com.au/

Congratulations to the organisers, authors, volunteers and supporters who continue to make the Eumundi Writers Festival such a treasured event on the Sunshine Coast. Here’s to the stories still to be written.

✅ #SunshineCoastLifestyle ✅ #CommunityStrength ✅ #whatdomayorsdo

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I just love a writing festival and the @eumundiwritersfestival held last weekend was such a treat! Only in their second year and run by volunteers they deserve a lot of credit for the calibre of writers and the quality of their volunteers. The sessions were interesting, informative and entertaining. I stayed four days in a gorgeous cabin at @gridleybandb which was absolutely perfect in every way as were the hosts. I enjoyed being fully immersed into the event and the town of Eumundi which gave me the time and energy to enjoy it all - have some coffee’s and buy some books - what’s not to absolutely LOVE about that. . I learnt so much and loved so many of the sessions. Clancy Overell (aka Archer) from @betootaadvocate was a stand out interviewing Kevin Rudd. I loved so many sessions though. @sheridan.stewart was fabulous, @todd_author_donny_ @laurajeanmckay and @lauraelvery were amazing and I learnt so much from @jack.roney.crimewriter and loved meeting @steveminon @ian_kemish who were both extraordinarily clever writers! Loved listening to @wyntervivienne Renee Barnes, Declan Humphreys and Professor Roy Sussex on the future of news and journalism. The travel session with father and sons Simon and Dominic Cleary and Kari and Magnus Gislason was much different but gave me a lot to think about as they gave such an interesting talk on their father son travels. Now I have to buy their travel books too! And also other festival goers who were terrific and who I shared many sessions and the lovely @alexfullertonmitchell who is an exceptional human. Well done Dr Suzanna Campin and your team on a successful enjoyable event and kudos to the magnificent @berkelouw_books_eumundi OMG I must return again soon! I missed a lot of the workshops which I hope next year I can do more of.

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EP039 | TODD MAGUIRE

From rugby league and policing the Gold Coast to operating deep undercover as “Donny”, Todd Maguire’s career took him into a world most of us will never experience.

But this conversation goes well beyond the war stories.

Todd speaks openly about losing his partner Karen to suicide, the grief and guilt that followed, and how becoming an undercover operative gave him somewhere to escape when he didn’t know how to deal with what he was carrying.

We talk undercover policing, reckless behaviour, PTSD, hypervigilance, the challenge of becoming “Todd” again, and the lessons he’s learnt about recovery, vulnerability and having better conversations.

There’s plenty of humour in this one too — and some genuinely practical takeaways, including why Todd believes some of the best conversations happen shoulder to shoulder rather than face to face.

EP039 | BECOMING DONNY — Todd Maguire

🎧 Available now on all major podcast platforms.

#veterans #firstresponders #podcast #resilience #mentalhealth

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