Mental strength and courage can create a certain kind of magic, and Silken Laumann tapped into that magic in 1992 when she came back from a devastating rowing accident only 10 weeks before the Olympic Games to win a bronze medal for Canada. Today, the power of positive thinking, and the courage to embrace change and overcome obstacles make her life as a speaker, a writer and a strong advocate for children ... simply magical.

Silken Laumann speaks to the power of dreams and vision in our lives, the challenge to overcome fear and develop self-belief, and the importance of building winning habits.  “Our greatest journey is to discover and fulfill our human potential.  This takes courage and persistence,”  says Silken.  Whether through advocating for children, building a successful career, or raising her four children, Silken Laumann is always striving to break down barriers that limit her, to realize her own potential.  Her enthusiasm and passion for people and their dreams is contagious, and she has had the priviledge of inspiring thousands of people to take that next step towards their dreams and human potential.

• Silken has spoken to hundreds of organizations in various sectors of government, finance, eduction, health , sales, human resources and private business.
• Through Silken's Olympic experiences and personal encounters with top achievers, her speeches centre around getting the most out of ourselves - finding opportunities within obstacles, challenging your limits and staying focused on a vision.
• Her visionary leadership goes far beyond Olympic moments; her continued presence on the International Board for Right To Play; Kid's Champion for GoodLife Kids Foundation; and best-selling author of Child's Play support her dedication and advocacy of children and their right to play.
• Silken's speeches are tailored to her audiences - call us for more information.

• The Courage To Shine:  Releasing Your Inner Excellence

Building on her own remarkable experiences and those of other champions in art, music, and business, Silken shares with her audiences key strategies that lead to great performance. What is revealed is as surprising as it is sensible. From the company executive with a jar full of pennies representing the days of his life, to the Olympic athlete in tears of doubt just days before winning gold medals, Silken shows us that leaders are not fearless, nor eternally confident. Rather they have mastered the mental skills that harness and unleash human potential. Understanding the power of our thoughts and intentions, staying connected to our passions and creating the positive environment from which creativity and excellence flows are keys to releasing inner excellence. The balance between controlling our own destiny while still being receptive to the unexpected and magical are lessons shared by this very open, sharing and caring speaker.

• From Agony to Ecstasy:  The Olympic Story

Silken Laumann captivated a nation when she moved From Broken Bones and Shredded Muscles to an Olympic Medal in ten weeks time. World Champion Silken Laumann was just weeks away from realizing her dream of Olympic Gold when a men’s pair smashed into her, shredding muscles, breaking bones and shattering her chances of Olympic glory. Her story of defying the doctors’ prognosis that she would never row competitively again is one of courage, persistence, and belief.

Silken shares her Olympic story with the depth and experience of someone who has had many challenges and victories in addition to her Olympic successes. She takes her audience on a journey to uncover their own dreams and motivations, she challenges them to discover what limits their success and what beliefs they hold that inhibits their potential. Silken is breathtakingly honest, and in her honesty she gives her audiences permission to go deep, to shift their thinking and open up to the possibility in their careers and life. Her own battle for self-confidence and self-belief help her understand how profoundly challenging it is for any of us to “believe in ourselves” and yet how essential that is to realizing our true potential.

“Vision and belief are needed to overcome the challenges we face in our ever changing work environments. Silken helped us find both.” --Dave Schneider, Wellington West Financial

Silken stretches her boundaries, advocates for children and keeps pushing to be the best she can be. She is educated in the field of excellence; most importantly through the way she lives her life in sport and after sport.

Competition
Excellence
Vision
Change
Overcoming Obstacles

Silver Linings: Living the Up Side of Down

Silken’s greatest mentor and coach once said to her “ every cloud has a silver lining.” This expression came in handy when she sat in a sinking boat wondering if she was going to lose her lower leg never mind compete at the Olympics in ten weeks time. Five years later, when her husband left her without warning, she remembers thinking “where the heck is the silver lining in this one.”

Silken is no stranger to adversity; living with a mom who suffered from mental illness gave her strength and resiliency that has shaped the course of her life. She believes our experiences are gifts that shape us. Challenge, loss and change are hard, but there are huge lessons in the experience. To throw away the learning of the journey is throwing away the gift that comes along with the pain. Silken shares her story with strength and honesty and inspires us all that we can not only overcome anything that life throws at us, but that we can live a life of passion, contribution and meaning.

Courage
Personal Development
Change

Silken is the author of two books, mother, a child advocate, and a frequent contributor to national magazines.

“Thank you for giving such a terrific presentation. It’s obvious you care about your audience, by being so thoroughly prepared.”
Cronkhite Supply
 
“As you could tell by the group’s standing ovation your speech moved us emotionally and was a highlight of our weekend.”
AMJ Campbell

"Silken's message was right on target for what we are trying to achieve in the development of Public Service leaders. Compassion is of primary importance to the current and future leaders of the Public Service of Canada."
The Canadian Centre for Management Development

You provided our sales team with valuable new skills, applicable to both their business and personal lives."
Microsoft