Chris Waddell
Keynote Speaker: Paralympic Sit-Skier & Wheelchair Track Athlete
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Chris Waddell Biography
Chris Waddell is an American Paralympic sit-skier and wheelchair track athlete. He was a promising able-bodied skier while attending Middlebury College in Vermont, before a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.
As a sit-skier, Waddell won medals in the 1992, 1994, 1998, and 2002 Winter Paralympics. As a wheelchair track racer, he represented the USA at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer Paralympics. He won a silver medal in the 200m T53 event at the Sydney Paralympic Games. In 2004, he set a T53 world record time for this distance which still stands today.
In 2006, Waddell was inducted into the National Disabled Ski Hall of Fame by Disabled Sports USA. In 2010, he was inducted into the Paralympic Hall of Fame.
On Wednesday, September 30th 2009, Waddell became the first paraplegic to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. He was named the 2010 Shining Star of Perseverance Honoree by the WillReturn Council of Assurant Employee Benefits to honor and recognize individuals and groups who overcome disabilities to succeed in the workplace and society.
In 2015, Waddell released his first book, "Things I Want to Remember Not to Forget," a book based on his Middlebury College Commencement Speech that landed him on NPR's list of The Best Graduation Speeches, Ever. He has written three children’s books, including "Is It Lonely to Be a Four- Leaf Clover," which illustrates his motto “It's not what happens to you. It’s what you do with what happens to you.”
As the founder of One Revolution and Nametags, Waddell presents to students throughout the world, and mentors our speaker athletes. He continues to challenge himself and push the limits of what others believe can be accomplished.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Chris Waddell and other top speakers and celebrities.
Chris Waddell Speaking Topics
My motto is “It’s not what happens to you. It’s what you do with what happens to you,” which applies equally to living life in a wheelchair, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in a handcycle, winning a ski race, or anything else. Things are going to go wrong. Successful people are often just those who struggled a little longer and little better.
My mission is to turn perception of disability (yours, mine, ours) upside down so that we can realize our dreams and live fully. That means removing the reason(s) we can’t. And it means learning from each other. Adaptation is our greatest, most fulfilling, and most underutilized ability. We refuse to start. We refuse to take the risk. We refuse to become the change we want to be. We all love the underdog, but we don’t like to be the underdog. Can we embrace the role flip that perception of limitations?
When I was in the hospital after my accident, I couldn’t get out of bed, I couldn’t workout, I couldn’t affect anything other than how I looked at the situation. I call it realizing possible, which is staying in the moment and resisting the urge to panic or quit—essentially winning the moment with myself. My refrain became, how can I be healthy? My greatest trauma helped me tap into my greatest strength by giving myself the best environment to succeed. How can we make choosing healthy and realizing possible the foundation of our personal and professional lives?
As an athlete and fan of sports, I remember my heroes stating that success was 90-95% mental, but what did that mean? In my eyes, it meant that they were tough, but it also sounded like either you were, or you weren’t. Was confidence God-given? I don’t remember anyone talking about building confidence. If it was so important, why didn’t people talk about creating confidence? Let’s make it part of our daily objective to finish the day more confident than we started. Afterall, if it’s almost entirely responsible for our success, shouldn’t we find a way to grow it?
Change is the only guarantee, yet it often feels like failure because it takes us from our desired path success, which we imagine that we should be able to achieve and possess. But that’s a mirage. No matter who we are and how successful we've become, change will find us. Death, divorce, disease, bankruptcy or myriad other things have the ability to cut us to make us question what we've always believed. If we can recognize that change is part of the journey, we can remove the emotional distress to find the best strategy to deal with change.
Chris Waddell Videos
How do I book Chris Waddell to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Chris Waddell for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Chris Waddell, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Chris Waddell or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Chris Waddell for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Chris Waddell, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Chris Waddell are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Chris Waddell, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Chris Waddell speak about?
Chris Waddell is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Sports Motivation, Olympic Sports, Athlete, Extreme Sports, Health, Youth, Diversity, Motivational, Personal Growth, Teacher Motivation, Education Motivation, Mountain Climbing, Overcoming Adversity, Sports, Disability, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Inspirational and TED.
Where does Chris Waddell travel from?
Chris Waddell generally travels from Utah, UT, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Chris Waddell?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Chris Waddell for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Chris Waddell for your next private or corporate function.
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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Chris Waddell or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
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Chris Waddell is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Sports Motivation, Olympic Sports and Athlete. The estimated speaking fee range to book Chris Waddell for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Chris Waddell generally travels from Utah, UT, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jim Morris, Rudy Ruettiger and Coach Ken Carter. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Chris Waddell for an upcoming event.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Chris Waddell Speaking Topics
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Resilience
My motto is “It’s not what happens to you. It’s what you do with what happens to you,” which applies equally to living life in a wheelchair, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in a handcycle, winning a ski race, or anything else. Things are going to go wrong. Successful people are often just those who struggled a little longer and little better.
-
Flipping Limitations
My mission is to turn perception of disability (yours, mine, ours) upside down so that we can realize our dreams and live fully. That means removing the reason(s) we can’t. And it means learning from each other. Adaptation is our greatest, most fulfilling, and most underutilized ability. We refuse to start. We refuse to take the risk. We refuse to become the change we want to be. We all love the underdog, but we don’t like to be the underdog. Can we embrace the role flip that perception of limitations?
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Choose Healthy for Our Greatest Strength
When I was in the hospital after my accident, I couldn’t get out of bed, I couldn’t workout, I couldn’t affect anything other than how I looked at the situation. I call it realizing possible, which is staying in the moment and resisting the urge to panic or quit—essentially winning the moment with myself. My refrain became, how can I be healthy? My greatest trauma helped me tap into my greatest strength by giving myself the best environment to succeed. How can we make choosing healthy and realizing possible the foundation of our personal and professional lives?
-
Own Your Confidence
As an athlete and fan of sports, I remember my heroes stating that success was 90-95% mental, but what did that mean? In my eyes, it meant that they were tough, but it also sounded like either you were, or you weren’t. Was confidence God-given? I don’t remember anyone talking about building confidence. If it was so important, why didn’t people talk about creating confidence? Let’s make it part of our daily objective to finish the day more confident than we started. Afterall, if it’s almost entirely responsible for our success, shouldn’t we find a way to grow it?
-
Embracing Change
Change is the only guarantee, yet it often feels like failure because it takes us from our desired path success, which we imagine that we should be able to achieve and possess. But that’s a mirage. No matter who we are and how successful we've become, change will find us. Death, divorce, disease, bankruptcy or myriad other things have the ability to cut us to make us question what we've always believed. If we can recognize that change is part of the journey, we can remove the emotional distress to find the best strategy to deal with change.
VIDEO
Chris Waddell Videos
REVIEWS
Chris Waddell Reviews
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The team was great! Thank you!
Silicon Valley Bank - Mar 30 2022
NEWS
Chris Waddell News
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Fund Shop Waddell & Reed Financial Teeters On 'Junk' Status ...
By Chris Dieterich. More trouble for Waddell & Reed Financial (WDR). Bond- ratings agency Moody's Investors Service last week cut WDR's issuer rating to Baa3 ...
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Carly Waddell -- 9 things to know about the 'Bachelor in Paradise ...
Carly Waddell -- 9 things to know about the Bachelor in Paradise ... She first entered The Bachelor franchise by competing for Chris Soules on Season 19.
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Chris Harrison Says Luke Pell Could Still Be The Bachelor Someday ...
Last night, we also saw the end of this season of Bachelor in Paradise, where three of the show's couples got engaged—Carly Waddell and Evan Bass, Grant ...
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