With pristine beaches, lush rainforests, tropical islands, famous surf breaks and a half decent Rugby League team, Queensland is a magnet for holidaymakers far and wide. It’s also the main domain for many, with its tempting lure of laid-back lifestyle and 260+ days of sunshine every year a tough one to resist. But the sun isn’t the only thing shining in the Sunshine State – Queensland’s star-studded line-up of Motivational Speakers are generating some serious sparkle too!
From world-famous ballet dancer Li Cunxin to Olympic champion Libby Trickett and inspirational burns survivor Turia Pitt, these Top 10 Motivational Speakers all call Queensland home – and we’d love to introduce you.
Queensland’s Top 10 Motivational Speakers
1. Ariarne Titmus
Pitted against American rival Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Ariarne Titmus’ gold-medal winning effort was arguably one of the greatest Olympic races of all time. Her Olympic medal haul, which also included gold in the 200m freestyle, silver in the 800-metre freestyle and bronze in the 4×200 metres women’s freestyle relay, cemented Ariarne’s place in Australian swimming history. Passionate about health and wellness, Ariarne is a wonderful role model for future generations, as well as a captivating and insightful speaker who connects beautifully with audiences of all ages. Read more about Ariarne here.
2. Turia Pitt
When model and fitness enthusiast Turia Pitt set off on a 100km ultra-marathon in the Kimberley region in 2011, she couldn’t have imagined the tragic course her life was about to take. Caught in a grassfire, Turia suffered horrific burns to 65% of her body, and spent two months in a coma with grim odds of survival. During the next two years, Turia underwent more than 200 surgeries and had seven fingers amputated. Despite a heavy rehabilitation schedule, her inspiring courage has since seen her complete an Ironman triathlon, compete in a 20km swimming race, cycle from Sydney to Uluru and walk the Great Wall of China. She now dedicates much of her time to humanitarian causes and had raised over $200,000 for Interplast, a charity that provides reconstructive surgery to people in developing countries. Turia’s story about overcoming adversity will keep you enthralled, and her powerful message will give you a new perspective on life. Read more about Turia here.
3. Li Cunxin
If you haven’t read or watched Li Cunxin’s best-selling autobiographical work, Mao’s Last Dancer, you’re one of the few. Published and sold in over 20 countries and subsequently turned into a Hollywood feature film, Mao’s Last Dancer recounts the perseverance, vision, courage, hard work, integrity and love that drove Li from poverty-stricken China to become one of the best dancers in the world. From the Beijing Dance Academy during Mao’s regime to principal dancer with the Australian Ballet, Li’s journey is a unique tale of resilience and determination, and his presentations are a touching and empowering experience that will be long cherished. Read more about Li here.
4. Libby Trickett
With a swimming career that included gold medals at 3 consecutive Olympic Games, 8 world records, 15 world titles and 5 Commonwealth Games gold medals, there’s little doubt why Libby Trickett was dubbed ‘Australia’s Golden Girl’ of swimming. Libby’s achievements were recognised with an Order of Australia medal (OAM) for her contribution to swimming, and she was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. The humble superstar’s trademark million-watt smile hid a brave battle with anxiety and depression though – it was the toughest battle of her life, and taught her the importance of good mental health. Libby is now a BeyondBlue Ambassador and Queensland’s Mental Health Ambassador, sharing her story with passion and honesty, providing a rare insight into her life as one of our greatest ever swimmers and her personal struggles to overcome mental health challenges. Read more about Libby here.
5. Anthony Laye
If you’re looking to break up the monotony of meetings and conferences then let Anthony Laye, celebrity Mentalist and TV regular, take your team on an interactive and mind-blowing adventure that will leave them wondering – how the hell did he do that?! Dynamic and engaging, Anthony reveals powerful business communication and influence tools to help team members develop as leaders, influencers and communicators. Combined with some gobsmacking mind tricks that will leave the audience spellbound with wonder, magic and laughter, this is the ultimate team-bolstering experience! Read more about Anthony here.
6. Karni Liddell
A progressive and debilitating muscle-wasting disease meant that Karni Liddell wasn’t expected to live past her teenage years. But her unique attitude to life, and her will to prove that her body could do what she was told it couldn’t, saw her become a Paralympic medallist, successful businesswoman, writer, counsellor and disability champion. She encourages others to think differently about how their choices shape their health, success and attitude too – regardless of their life circumstances. Karni is the only woman in Australia with a disability to feature on the cover of Inside Sport Magazine and has proudly raised over $1million dollars for various charities. Read more about Karni here.
7. Elaine Jobson
From managing Fitness First’s sales across Europe and leading their new female brand initiative, to COO of Virgin Active in South Africa, to a pivotal role in the global expansion of Jetts Australia, Elaine Jobson has made a significant impact on the global fitness industry over the last 25 years. She’s particularly passionate about corporate culture, having led one of the most profound cultural changes in the fitness industry that resulted in Virgin Active winning the Deloitte Best Place to Work Award in South Africa. The current CEO of Jetts Australia and International was awarded ‘2023 Fit Summit Executive of the Year’ and the Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network’s ‘Outstanding Business Woman of the Year’ in recognition of her efforts. Read more about Elaine here.
8. Steven Bradbury
One of the world’s most colourful Olympic Champions, Steven Bradbury created history when he won the Southern Hemisphere’s first ever Winter Olympic gold medal in 2002. He also won fans the world over for the honesty and humility he showed after his unexpected speed skating win. Steve overcame serious injury in his journey to the top, including a race accident that required 111 stitches and a training mishap in 2000 that resulted in a broken neck. With perseverance and hard work, that same neck was proudly adorned with an Olympic gold medal just 18 months later. Steve received ‘The Don Award’ for Australia’s best sporting performance in 2002, and in 2007 was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his services to Australian Sport. Having presented at over 650 conference and events in 14 countries over the last 10 years, Steve is one of Australia’s most in-demand and entertaining motivational speakers. Read more about Steve here.
9. Orange Sky Laundry
Best friends Nicholas Marchesi and Lucas Patchett had a vision. They wanted to dedicate their lives to treating others the way they liked to be treated themselves, restoring respect and health standards to those less fortunate. And so Orange Sky Laundry was born. Their revolutionary idea was to remodel an old van into a free mobile laundry, delivering a washing service to the homeless, and providing somewhere safe for people to come and have a chat. They now have 9 laundry vans, each fitted with two commercial washing machines and two dryers, servicing the Sunshine Coast, South East Melbourne, Perth, Gold Coast, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra. They’ve recently added shower vans to the Orange Sky fleet too. If you’re looking for an incredible success story with a conscience, you can’t go past Orange Sky! Read more about Orange Sky Laundry here.
10. McQuilty (Coco) Quirke
With an 18-year army career covering the war zones of East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan as a medic, soldier and leader, there is no-one better equipped to talk to your team about resilience and overcoming adversity than McQuilty Quirke. Having courageously battled post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the horrors of war in Iraq, Coco suffered multiple life-threatening injuries – including two shattered vertebrae, broken bones in every limb and a traumatic brain injury – when an improvised explosive device detonated under his vehicle in Afghanistan. The powerful lessons he learned on his journey to recovery provide the foundation for his captivating presentations. Read more about McQuilty here.
____________________
With so many stars shining in the Sunshine State, our task of picking the Top 10 was a difficult one! If you have a brief for us we’d be happy to provide you with a curated list of Motivational Speakers specific to your needs… get in touch with us for a chat to get the ball rolling!