Rebecca Rusch

Rebecca Rusch Speaking Topics

• Elastic Resilience

  In Elastic Resilience, Rebecca Rusch challenges traditional ideas of toughness and grit by introducing a dynamic model for high performance—one rooted in adaptability, recovery, and growth. Drawing on her experiences as a world champion athlete and expedition leader, she illustrates how peak performance requires balancing stress and recovery, pressure and release. Rebecca weaves in stories of navigating physical setbacks, emotional loss, and remote expeditions to demonstrate that resilience isn’t rigid—it’s elastic. This keynote empowers audiences with a new framework for sustainable leadership, grounded in neuroscience, personal reflection, and practical strategies. Attendees leave with a deeper understanding of how to build capacity for challenge, remain steady under pressure, and recover with intention.

  Attendee Takeaways:

  • A clear model for managing stress and performance
  • Tactics for bouncing back after adversity
  • Tools for long-term personal and professional resilience
  • A mindset shift from “toughing it out” to “flexing with purpose”"

• Seeds of Impact

  In Seeds of Impact, Rebecca Rusch takes audiences on an unforgettable journey that begins with personal loss and evolves into global purpose. Through the lens of her father’s service and sacrifice in the Vietnam War, Rebecca shares how a single letter planted a seed that would grow into a life of healing, connection, and service. Retracing his path along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, she uncovers bomb craters, buried truths, and a deeper understanding of how war lingers—not just in landscapes, but in generations.

  This keynote weaves together powerful themes of legacy, reconciliation, and hope. Rebecca’s storytelling bridges the past and present as she introduces the real people and places affected by war—people who ultimately became her allies in peace-building. She challenges us to consider our own ripple effect, reminding us that one story, one relationship, one act of courage can spark enduring change.

  Attendee Takeaways:

  • The emotional and personal realities behind war’s long-term impact
  • A model for transforming grief into action and purpose
  • Why reconciliation and community-building are essential to healing
  • How education and storytelling can shift collective memory toward peace
  • Inspiration to reflect on the legacy we each leave behind—and the seeds we plant today

• Dirt Dharma: An Explorer's Guide to Self-Discovery

  In Dirt Dharma, Rebecca Rusch shares a trail-tested framework for navigating life’s uncertainty with presence, courage, and personal responsibility. Drawing from decades of experience as an expedition athlete, firefighter, and seeker, Rebecca presents a practical “toolkit” for becoming your own guide—on the trail and in life.

  This keynote invites participants to explore the uncharted with intention, transforming discomfort into discovery. Rebecca blends stories from extreme environments with grounded, accessible practices for cultivating self-awareness, building inner resilience, and living in alignment with purpose. It’s not about avoiding the hard stuff—it’s about embracing it with curiosity and clarity.

  Attendee Takeaways:

  • A personal toolkit for navigating challenge and change
  • Practices to become your own best teacher and guide
  • How to turn adversity into insight, and motion into meaning
  • Trail-inspired handrails for building a purposeful, values-aligned life

• The Athlete Operating System: A Trail Map for Peak Performance Living

  In The Athlete Operating System (AOS), Rebecca Rusch reveals a new framework for building a high-performance life—on the bike, in business, and beyond. Blending insights from decades of elite competition, expedition leadership, and human-powered exploration, Rebecca challenges audiences to stop chasing someone else’s podium and start defining their own.

  Whether you're an entrepreneur, a creative, a parent, or a leader, you already have an inner athlete. Rebecca helps you activate it. This keynote unpacks how the daily habits, structure, and mindset of athletes—movement, recovery, adaptability, goal-setting, and purpose—can fuel sustained personal and professional growth. With her trademark honesty and high-octane storytelling, Rebecca shares tools to help you align your values with your actions, build resilience into your systems, and turn your vision into velocity.

  Attendee Takeaways:

  • How to apply the principles of elite athletes to everyday life
  • A framework for defining and achieving your personal “gold medal”
  • Systems for building discipline, adaptability, and mental fitness
  • Why sustainable success requires recovery, reflection, and purpose
  • Inspiration to climb your own mountain—with clarity, confidence, and community