Janine Shepherd’s story is that of the classic hero's journey. As national champion skier, Janine was one of Australia’s best hopes in the Calgary Winter Olympics. But an accident while training cut short Janine’s future as an athlete, and nearly ended her life. Paralyzed and in hospital for close to six months, she defied the medical odds by not only learning to walk again, but by creating anentirely new life in a most remarkable way.
Janine’s life story has been featured on ’60 minutes’ and ‘This is Your Life’. Her first book, “Never Tell Me Never,” was made into a feature length film, and she has since written five other books including her recently-released memoir entitled “Defiant.” Her TED talk, A Broken Body is not a Broken Person, has been viewed nearly 2 million times and continues to be featured as a favorite on TED.com.
Janine has been awarded her country’s highest civilian acclaim, the Order of Australia, in recognition of her service to the Community and tireless work to raise awareness of Spinal Cord injury and research. She also serves as ambassador for Red Bull, Wings for Life, and Spinal Cure Australia. Today Janine is in demand as one of the world’s top inspirational speakers, having presented her compelling story to leading organizations and companies around the globe. Her message of resilience and human potential continues to inspire her audiences to overcome adversity and take on life’s challenges. Spiritual leader and best-selling author Deepak Chopra calls Janine a “change agent.”
We are pleased to have her with us today, to share her extraordinary story with you. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Janine Shepherd.
To ensure Janine’s presentation at your event is a success, we require the following:
SETUP
Janine will send videos and PowerPoint prior to the event via Hightail, and will also bring a flash drive with her presentation when she arrives at the venue.
Janine typically travels alone and may require assistance at the venue. It is greatly appreciated if a volunteer could be assigned to assist her during his time with you. Expectations of the volunteer include:
If there are stairs up to the stage, Janine will require help after she is introduced. Assisting Janine with product sales (books). *This entails collecting the appropriate fee, distributing product, and providing the attendee with the receipt.
Due to the long distances Janine typically travels, she likes to arrive the day before the event and stay overnight after the event. This ensures she recovers and gives her very best performance for the event. Depending on the timing of her talk, she usually requires 2-3 nights accommodation. Have questions? E-mail david@janineshepherd.com
No matter how perfect someone’s life may seem on social media, everyone has challenges. An unlucky few are dealt a life-threatening blow. For those, the most carefully-planned future can be dramatically and irrevocably upended inthe proverbial blink of an eye.
Thankfully, most of us are never faced with such an unthinkable choice. But if it happened to you, how would you go on? (PAUSE) Would you be able to harness the struggles of your new and unplanned life to redefine and reshape your future, or would your overwhelming struggle keep you from achieving a life well-lived?
Our next speaker was at the pinnacle of athletic success when her world was upended. An extraordinarily gifted cross-country skier, she was one of Australia’s best hopes for the Calgary Winter Olympics. But an accident at the hands of a careless driver not only ended her future as an athlete, it nearly cost her her life. Paralyzed and in hospital for close to six months, she ultimately defied the odds by creating an entirely new life in numerous improbable ways, both personally and professionally.
Her inspirational TEDx talk has been viewed nearly 2 million times and her sixth book, a memoir entitled Defiant, is quickly gathering acclaim as a beacon of hope for anyone in struggle.
Ladies and gentlemen, here to share with you her remarkable story, and offer you a unique perspective on <INSERT SPEECH NAME HERE> is Order Of Australia recipient, Outstanding Young Person of the World, and Paralympic torchbearer, Ms Janine Shepherd.
Janine Shepherd is an inspirational speaker and writer whose books have become classics in the survivor genre. A champion cross-country skier in training for the 1988 winter Olympics, Janine’s life changed forever when she was hit by a truck during a bicycle training ride in the Blue Mountains of Australia.
Doctors warned her parents that—even if she somehow miraculously survived her massive injuries—Janine would almost certainly never walk again. After a risky procedure to rebuild her shattered vertebra, and almost six months flat on her back in a hospital spinal ward, Janine came home to heal. With the promise of a career as an elite athlete now gone forever, Janine faced a daunting recovery and an uncertain future.
Struggling to rehabilitate with permanent disabilities, Janine rekindled her defiant spirit in a dramatically improbable way. Sitting outside in her wheelchair one day and watching a small plane fly overhead, she declared, “That’s it! If I can’t walk, I’ll fly!”
Still encased in a full body cast, Janine had to be lifted into an aircraft for her introductory flight lesson. But within a year she had defied the odds and succeeded in gaining her private pilot’s license. Her talent and skill as a pilot subsequently earned Janine a commercial pilot license and ultimately, her flying instructor’s rating. She then decided to learn to fly upside down, and finally, to teach aerobatic flight to other pilots.
Janine went on to succeed not only as a professional pilot but also to attain her University degree, raise three children and author several best-selling books.
Her remarkable life story ultimately captured the interest of a prominent film company, which produced the feature length movie, aptly titled Never Tell Me Never.
In recognition of her service to the community and her tireless efforts in raising awareness for spinal cord research, Janine was awarded the Order of Australia, her nation’s highest honor. She is an ambassador for Spinal Cure Australia and Red Bull’s “Wings for Life” and a contributor to Deepak Chopra’s workshops. Janine’s story has been featured on 60 Minutes, This is Your Life and CNN’s Turning Points with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Her inspirational and emotional TEDx talk, “A Broken Body Isn’t a Broken Person,” has been viewed almost 2 million times.
She was recently named as an “Architect of Change” in Maria Shriver’s “Sunday Paper” Her latest book, “Defiant: A Memoir” was published for worldwide distribution by SoundsTrue®.
Janine lives in Wyoming, USA but is frequently traveling the globe delivering keynotes and her inspirational message of “defiance.” For more information, visit janineshepherd.com.
