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Warren Macdonald
- Double amputee and inspiring speaker redefining resilience and change.
- Helps audiences see challenges as opportunities.
- Empowers teams to adapt, grow, and thrive.
Probably the most popular refrain heard after a Warren Macdonald keynote presentation is along the lines of “Thank you. You have changed the way I see the world”. Once you hear Warren’s story, it’s easy to understand why, because there aren’t many people who have had to rethink and re-frame their lives in the way Warren has had to. In his talk, yes, he shares his story of losing his legs. But that’s just the beginning… The real magic happens when we learn how to “see” a given situation through a new lens, when we learn that our perception offers us a choice. Of course navigating any change also requires resilience.
The bad news? Resilience is like a bank account; you only have what you have when you need it. The good news? You can start building resilience today by doing what Warren calls practicing resilience. Don’t leave it to chance by having Warren inspire and inform your next event.
Videos
Biography
Warren Macdonald works with innovative, forward-thinking organizations and associations looking to foster a shift in perception.
Warren’s life’s boundaries were redefined in April 1997 with his accident on North Queensland’s (Australia) Hinchinbrook Island. Climbing to the Island’s tallest peak, he became trapped beneath a one-ton slab boulder in a freak rock fall. Two days later he was rescued, only to undergo the amputation of both legs at mid-thigh.
Just ten months later, he climbed Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain using a modified wheelchair and the seat of his pants.
In February 2003, he became the first double above-knee amputee to reach the summit of Africa’s tallest peak, Mt Kilimanjaro (19,222ft), and more recently, in a spectacular effort requiring more than 2,800 pull-ups over 4 days, created history once again in an ascent of America’s tallest cliff face, El Capitan. He is also the only above knee amputee to make an ascent of Canada’s landmark frozen waterfall, the 600 ft “Weeping Wall” in Alberta.
Warren’s first book, “A Test of Will” is an Australian bestseller and the subject of the “Trapped under a Boulder” episode of the Discovery Channel series “I Shouldn’t Be Alive”. His film documenting the epic four-week journey to Federation Peak, Australia most challenging mountain summit, “The Second Step”, has been acclaimed worldwide, screening on National Geographic Television and winning eight international awards including Grand Prize at the prestigious “Banff Mountain Film Festival”.
Warren has appeared on numerous news and current affairs programs, including “Larry King Live”, “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, and “The Hour” with George Stroumboulopoulos.
He lives in British Columbia with his partner Margo Talbot.
Speech Topics
The Perception Choice: How you see is what you get
How do we build resilience in times of extraordinary change?
We start by asking ourselves, “How am I seeing this?”
Once we realize that we can reframe our challenges, that we can literally “change the way we see”, everything changes…
Expected Outcomes:
This keynote presentation is designed to hit “reset” on how your members see their role whilst leading their organizations. Expect them to come away empowered, engaged and inspired. They’ll begin to see challenges and opportunities with fresh perspectives and renewed vision.
Key Takeaways:
- An understanding of the incredible importance of mindset, and how perception is the most important factor when it comes to improving, vs limiting, our performance.
- Specific tools and techniques to help break through the barriers that limit us.
- How we see, is a choice. It impacts every decision, every conversation; it impacts how we see ourselves and the roles we play.
Disrupt Yourself First: Embracing Change in an age of Uncertainty
Let’s face it; much of what we do isn’t working. Many of our systems are broken. We know it, yet we feel powerless to do anything about it.
2025 promises to be a year of disruption. We can either be at the mercy of the changes this will bring, or we can choose to be proactive and find opportunity amidst them – even the unexpected challenges, the curveballs.
The key to building resilience in the face of adversity lies in proactively disrupting ourselves. By regularly confronting obstacles of our own making, we develop the muscle memory to respond effectively to external challenges. We go beyond merely accepting change; we actively seek it out.
Expected Outcomes:
This presentation is designed to give confidence to attendees that change isn’t the end of the world, that it can be a catalyst to personal and team growth.
Expect a shift in mindset from avoidance to actively seeking out challenges.
Key Takeaways:
- An understanding of how resilience is banked through confronting obstacles. That it is transferable across all areas of our lives.
- Specific tools and techniques to build resilience.
- Just like a ship in harbor is physically safe, staying in a comfortable routine can feel secure, but it limits potential for growth and innovation.
Next Level Quality of Care: A Patients Testimony
As a keynote speaker, I present at thirty to forty events each year on topics ranging from navigating change to setting impossible goals.
I have to say though that the strongest connection I feel with an audience is when I get to share my patients story as a healthcare speaker with people that do the work that you do; those of you in healthcare.
I’ve seen firsthand what you do. I’ve been there, on the receiving end.
I’d never been in hospital before until that night, after being rescued off of the side of a remote mountain, when I was wheeled on a stretcher into your world…
Ten days in intensive care; a month in the first hospital, then seven months of rehabilitation; learning how to live as a double above knee amputee…
I know that what you do makes a difference, and I’ve got some ideas and some thoughts to share with you through my patients testimony for those times when I think you forget that you make a difference…
I’ve put together a presentation especially for you, as someone who deals with situations of consequence on a daily basis, to remind you of the importance of the work you do; of the difference you make.
Expected Outcomes:
The big picture aim of this presentation is to validate the importance of the work you do; whether you’re a front line practitioner or clinician; a caregiver or caseworker or a hospital administrator. Second to that is to share an example of the results we can achieve in our quality of care when we adopt a client centred (or patient centred) approach or model. When we partner with our patients to achieve a common goal.
One Step Beyond: Setting and Reaching Impossible Goals
It’s all well and good to set seemingly impossible goals; the kind that has your team looking at you like you’re nuts. Like this time you’ve really lost it . . . You need them to see what you see. You need to convince them, to inspire your team to follow you. To show them what is possible when you’re prepared to go One Step Beyond…
– Beyond ordinary
– Beyond conventional
– Beyond perceived limitations
Expected Outcomes:
You can expect your team to become engaged in raising the performance bar.
Testimonials
“Warren was awesome! He was engaging, funny, and truly impactful. A pleasure to be around and our workforce greatly enjoyed the sessions. We look forward to having Warren out to other project locations.”
Mitch Starke
Health and Safety Manager
Sureus Murphy Joint Venture
“Everyone, including Mike, thought that you wove the challenges we face in Major Projects into your personal story extremely well and that served to really drive home the message about creating a crisis in order to raise the performance bar rather than waiting for one to occur.”
Ron Genereux
VP Operating Plant Projects
Suncor
“Your presentation was the highlight of the event and people are still commenting to me on how you have changed their perspective. You were bang on in understanding the challenges we face and connecting your own story to ours in a way we could all relate. You got it! You inspired our people to pick themselves up and feel good about themselves and what they do, despite their past and current challenges. This shift in perception, I’m sure, will prove invaluable as we move forward.”
Mike Cachia
Team Leader – Recruitment
Syncrude
“We recommend Warren to anyone who needs inspiration and encouragement during challenging times, both personally and professionally. He was easy to work with, relatable, and very honest, open and real about his own personal struggles.”
Jackie Panera
Internal Communications Manager
Shell Canada
“Warren delivered an important message in an engaging way that really connected with our audience. He made an outstanding contribution in being the catalyst for our people to reflect on and take control of their own circumstances, and had a material impact on the success of our conference.”
Margaret Willis
European Head of Wealth Management
HSBC Bank
“Over the past 32 years, we have had hundreds of speakers around the globe. Many considered to be best of the best. Personally for me, Warrens Story is beyond compare. needless to say. But it is in meeting this man and how every time i see him or speak to him he has an attitude that is always positive and exciting. I would place Warren in top 10 in World for Motivational speaking. And we have had Presidents, Mayors, actors, activists, political and religious leaders, and everyone in between.”
Rob Thorsteinson
President
Cascadia Motivation Inc
