I’m a lucky guy I get to work with the
world’s greatest athletes and get a
front row seat to iconic indelible
moments athlete atop the podium happy
tears streaming down their cheeks as
their national anthem plays I bet some
of you have wondered I have skills
hidden talents I wonder if I have what
it takes to be an Olympian let me give
you the answer no no you don’t because
the odds of becoming an Olympian are one
and 600000 this is what an Olympian
looks like think about a time were you
at the gym thought you were crushing it
and then look at Jessica Zelenka that’s
an Olympian but you know what if you
want to have that Olympic moment there
is an opportunity there is a sport where
you can compete like an Olympian it’s
called bobsleigh let me take you back to
2013 we were just wrapping up a campaign
shoot before the Sochi Winter Olympic
Games when the organizer tapped me on
the shoulder he said hey marketing guy
you want to take a ride down the
bobsleigh track look at me do I look
like an Olympian look at me my vitals
I’m five foot nine in hockey skates my
weight indeterminate and fluctuating so
on the one hand I had this fear of going
down this icy sloping track and then on
the other hand I had another fear what
would I look like in this suit at the
top of the track I had to make a choice
I could give in to fear pass up a great
opportunity compete like an Olympian or
I could be vulnerable I could trust the
bobsleigh pilot well I was debating
these in my mind the guy was like you
got to go you got to make a decision
so I stalled I said you know what I
don’t know if I have the time I’ve got a
flight to catch it’s in four hours
sometimes they leave early I just don’t
know if I can do it that’s when the
camera guy leaned in and said dude the
entire ride only takes 60 seconds even
if you do crash that’s only going to add
another five seconds you got the time
man so I decided to do it I got in the
sled the odd thing about bobsleigh is it
starts really slowly so it gives you
this false sense of security like hey
this isn’t so bad I’ve done tobogganing
then the bottom fell out my insides came
up we started hurtling down the track at
speeds of a hundred kilometers an hour
as a communicator and marketer headlines
flash before my eyes chief marketing
officer dies on Maidan bobsleigh run
wife says what an idiot at various
points during the ride we were pulling
four G’s that’s like a giant invisible
hand pushing you down in your seat while
your head rattles around before I could
blink or throw up it was over 60 seconds
the feeling that I had in that moment
was indescribable adrenaline horse
through my body I felt like a superhero
it was probably at that point the best
day of my life except for the birth of
my kids that was very positive
honey that was great but you know what
when I was at the top of that run I
didn’t want to take the run I love this
quote it’s never the change we want that
changes everything didn’t want to do it
and nobody knows change in altering the
plan more than our athletes let’s talk
about one of them right now
Rosie McLennan our London 2012
trampoline masti is the best in the
world at what she does while she was
getting ready for Rio she went up in the
air in a training session she over
rotated she fell hard she had a
concussion she had to trust her medical
team she had to be vulnerable they told
her she couldn’t train training
consisted of being in a dark room for
seven months
for significant periods of time could
you do it Rosie would say that that
moment prepared her to win going through
adversity being vulnerable trusting her
team altering the plan allowed her to be
mentally tougher she would go on to win
gold and Rio she’s the first repeat
champion in her sport ever she is a hero
in the minds of many Canadians adversity
and vulnerability made her better
remember that bobsled ride I told you
about and hide those feelings of
exhilaration and feeling fully alive
that was really really important to me
because just a few years earlier I had
experienced quite the opposite death
this is my family what we didn’t know
back then is that cancer would affect
all of our lives we all know that
there’s a cycled life we know that we
will eventually lose our grandparents
and eventually our parents but the real
test of adversity is what happens when
that cycle is upended what happens when
a parent loses a child or you lose
someone far too early our cycle got
upended because of cancer we know the
stats two out of five Canadians will be
diagnosed in my family the stat and the
face to it all is four out of five
cancer will kill one in four in my
family it was two out of four
two out of four my mum’s a survivor
after three bouts with breast cancer it
would claim the lives of my two sisters
and I just learned last September that I
too would be diagnosed with cancer these
are my two sisters
Keltie and Corinne I’m going to tell you
a little bit about how courageously they
lived and how bravely they died it’s
never the change we want that changes
everything
think about that for me and my sister
Corinne the change happened with a phone
call she was calling from London she
said hey dare I’ve got some news I’m
having an operation tomorrow
they’re cutting out my kidney there’s a
tumor on it don’t worry it’ll all be
fine
she had a Wilms tumor it affects 1 in 10
million she was the one
it wouldn’t be fine my favorite memory
of Corinne was just before she died we
were in her London flat the Red Hot
Chili Peppers was blaring in the
background
wine was flowing the food was incredible
and we were laughing the problem was
because she had two cancers laughing
hurt imagine that laughing hurt cancer
can be cruel she would end up excusing
herself going to another room taking a
painkiller and coming back we would
repeat that cycle several times
painkiller
laughter repeat Corinne would live
longer than anyone predicted because of
her incredible sense of humor and
studies have shown that people have
better health outcomes if they used
humor as a coping mechanism this is my
sister Keltie
she was diagnosed with breast cancer two
years after we buried Corinne I remember
sitting in the parking lot after an
oncology ER appointment and she said I’m
going to fight this there and I said
Kelty and I looked into her green eyes
and I said is there anything I can do
name it anything and she said there is
one thing you can do can you please
please change places with me
she got me that’s vulnerability
vulnerability in the face of death she
was a remarkable woman look at her she’s
getting chemo and she’s smiling
that’s vulnerability and adversity she
would help cancer patients she would run
races and raise money she was incredible
last September when I was diagnosed with
cancer I realized although my sisters
were not a lot around to advise me I
could walk in their footsteps that even
though I could not call them anymore
they would be on my shoulders and they
were I was determined to be open to be
vulnerable I ended up sharing the news
with friends family and colleagues I
even did comparisons to this man you can
see the resemblance a song-and-dance man
also a skin cancer survivor of all the
messages I received and it was amazing I
opened myself up with my sisters deaths
I didn’t I got hundreds of emails posts
of support but the very best was this
one
the day of my surgery DK rocks that’s
Derek Kent by the way I know your
university students
that was the day of my surgery I left at
5:30 with my wife to the hospital it
gave me so much energy but you know what
vulnerability and facing adversity with
an open heart and an open mind has
helped me in my career I call this
confessions of a street fighter I want
to take you back to the 1990s no
smartphone no internet no Netflix I was
basically a caveman with nothing my
ambitions and confidence was sky-high
unfortunately so was Canada’s
unemployment rate I was rejected by some
of the best companies in Canada a
virtual fortune 100 of thanks but no
thanks
I was living on my friend’s beat-up ikea
couch eating lots of kraft dinner I
decided to take fate in my hands and
cold call the Liberal Party of Canada I
asked if there was a job available the
person on the other end of the line said
no not a paying job we have a job as an
unpaid assistant at reception I said you
know understand I’ve got a university
degree I don’t answer phones they said
that’s the job so I took it and
sometimes when you’re starting out your
career you have to take the lousy job to
get the great job and that was proven
true in my case
I would end up going to Ottawa and
working for the federal government a
great job but in politics sometimes you
have to make a move before politics
makes a move on you I would go on to
land a job a dream job at Nike and Nike
Canada and after performing there I got
tapped to work at world headquarters
Nike whq when I told my then fiance the
news
I’ve got this amazing opportunity it’s
my dream job I know we’re newly engaged
but we’re going to move across the
continent
away from your family and friends I told
her on a trip from Montreal to Toronto
she cried the whole way that’s five
hours people including rest stops that’s
the change that she didn’t want that
changed everything
I remember a moment with my boss
when I got to world headquarters much
bigger campus 6600 people I was the
Canadian kid we had a new house we had a
new daughter my home life made work
life’s a struggle I was struggling at
work I decided to be vulnerable I told
my boss at a sushi lunch I think I need
help I don’t think I’m performing up to
expectations he confirmed my worst fears
I had to listen and think not just hear
and react and then I had to act on what
I heard I turned it around we set up a
game plan before I knew it the same guy
who was telling me you got to up your
game was sending me to New York City for
the best job in my view at the company
US media relations director for Nike Inc
I got to rub shoulders with superstars
who only operate on a first-name basis
Serena Rafa Roger
it was heady times I was working around
the clock I was bringing my a-game you
don’t happen sometimes life gets in the
way
Keltie got sick I was an only child I
needed to come home
that’s when the Canadian Olympic team
called they said they wanted a
storyteller they wanted somebody who
could apply everything that I learned
and help Team Canada it was a risk I had
to be vulnerable I had to realize I was
leaving a great job with stock options
and amazing opportunities at a great
company but join the unknown of the
praat of the public sector the
not-for-profit sector so I joined up
after six months of interview process I
became CMO of the CEO see this is what
I’ve learned it’s never the change we
want that changes everything
think about it
for me the bobsleigh ride is like a
metaphor for life
it goes far too quickly you have a
choice to get in that bobsleigh or not
sometimes there’s unexpected turns that
make your stomach churn sometimes
there’s an invisible hand pushing you
down but you know what at the finish
line exhilaration I urge all of you when
presented with a choice get in that sled
don’t pass up an opportunity because
you’re scared be vulnerable so when you
set out in your careers and in your
lives be vulnerable be resilient be bold
take risks simple words they have helped
guide me in my life and I hope they
guide you in yours thank you very much
[Applause]
world’s greatest athletes and get a
front row seat to iconic indelible
moments athlete atop the podium happy
tears streaming down their cheeks as
their national anthem plays I bet some
of you have wondered I have skills
hidden talents I wonder if I have what
it takes to be an Olympian let me give
you the answer no no you don’t because
the odds of becoming an Olympian are one
and 600000 this is what an Olympian
looks like think about a time were you
at the gym thought you were crushing it
and then look at Jessica Zelenka that’s
an Olympian but you know what if you
want to have that Olympic moment there
is an opportunity there is a sport where
you can compete like an Olympian it’s
called bobsleigh let me take you back to
2013 we were just wrapping up a campaign
shoot before the Sochi Winter Olympic
Games when the organizer tapped me on
the shoulder he said hey marketing guy
you want to take a ride down the
bobsleigh track look at me do I look
like an Olympian look at me my vitals
I’m five foot nine in hockey skates my
weight indeterminate and fluctuating so
on the one hand I had this fear of going
down this icy sloping track and then on
the other hand I had another fear what
would I look like in this suit at the
top of the track I had to make a choice
I could give in to fear pass up a great
opportunity compete like an Olympian or
I could be vulnerable I could trust the
bobsleigh pilot well I was debating
these in my mind the guy was like you
got to go you got to make a decision
so I stalled I said you know what I
don’t know if I have the time I’ve got a
flight to catch it’s in four hours
sometimes they leave early I just don’t
know if I can do it that’s when the
camera guy leaned in and said dude the
entire ride only takes 60 seconds even
if you do crash that’s only going to add
another five seconds you got the time
man so I decided to do it I got in the
sled the odd thing about bobsleigh is it
starts really slowly so it gives you
this false sense of security like hey
this isn’t so bad I’ve done tobogganing
then the bottom fell out my insides came
up we started hurtling down the track at
speeds of a hundred kilometers an hour
as a communicator and marketer headlines
flash before my eyes chief marketing
officer dies on Maidan bobsleigh run
wife says what an idiot at various
points during the ride we were pulling
four G’s that’s like a giant invisible
hand pushing you down in your seat while
your head rattles around before I could
blink or throw up it was over 60 seconds
the feeling that I had in that moment
was indescribable adrenaline horse
through my body I felt like a superhero
it was probably at that point the best
day of my life except for the birth of
my kids that was very positive
honey that was great but you know what
when I was at the top of that run I
didn’t want to take the run I love this
quote it’s never the change we want that
changes everything didn’t want to do it
and nobody knows change in altering the
plan more than our athletes let’s talk
about one of them right now
Rosie McLennan our London 2012
trampoline masti is the best in the
world at what she does while she was
getting ready for Rio she went up in the
air in a training session she over
rotated she fell hard she had a
concussion she had to trust her medical
team she had to be vulnerable they told
her she couldn’t train training
consisted of being in a dark room for
seven months
for significant periods of time could
you do it Rosie would say that that
moment prepared her to win going through
adversity being vulnerable trusting her
team altering the plan allowed her to be
mentally tougher she would go on to win
gold and Rio she’s the first repeat
champion in her sport ever she is a hero
in the minds of many Canadians adversity
and vulnerability made her better
remember that bobsled ride I told you
about and hide those feelings of
exhilaration and feeling fully alive
that was really really important to me
because just a few years earlier I had
experienced quite the opposite death
this is my family what we didn’t know
back then is that cancer would affect
all of our lives we all know that
there’s a cycled life we know that we
will eventually lose our grandparents
and eventually our parents but the real
test of adversity is what happens when
that cycle is upended what happens when
a parent loses a child or you lose
someone far too early our cycle got
upended because of cancer we know the
stats two out of five Canadians will be
diagnosed in my family the stat and the
face to it all is four out of five
cancer will kill one in four in my
family it was two out of four
two out of four my mum’s a survivor
after three bouts with breast cancer it
would claim the lives of my two sisters
and I just learned last September that I
too would be diagnosed with cancer these
are my two sisters
Keltie and Corinne I’m going to tell you
a little bit about how courageously they
lived and how bravely they died it’s
never the change we want that changes
everything
think about that for me and my sister
Corinne the change happened with a phone
call she was calling from London she
said hey dare I’ve got some news I’m
having an operation tomorrow
they’re cutting out my kidney there’s a
tumor on it don’t worry it’ll all be
fine
she had a Wilms tumor it affects 1 in 10
million she was the one
it wouldn’t be fine my favorite memory
of Corinne was just before she died we
were in her London flat the Red Hot
Chili Peppers was blaring in the
background
wine was flowing the food was incredible
and we were laughing the problem was
because she had two cancers laughing
hurt imagine that laughing hurt cancer
can be cruel she would end up excusing
herself going to another room taking a
painkiller and coming back we would
repeat that cycle several times
painkiller
laughter repeat Corinne would live
longer than anyone predicted because of
her incredible sense of humor and
studies have shown that people have
better health outcomes if they used
humor as a coping mechanism this is my
sister Keltie
she was diagnosed with breast cancer two
years after we buried Corinne I remember
sitting in the parking lot after an
oncology ER appointment and she said I’m
going to fight this there and I said
Kelty and I looked into her green eyes
and I said is there anything I can do
name it anything and she said there is
one thing you can do can you please
please change places with me
she got me that’s vulnerability
vulnerability in the face of death she
was a remarkable woman look at her she’s
getting chemo and she’s smiling
that’s vulnerability and adversity she
would help cancer patients she would run
races and raise money she was incredible
last September when I was diagnosed with
cancer I realized although my sisters
were not a lot around to advise me I
could walk in their footsteps that even
though I could not call them anymore
they would be on my shoulders and they
were I was determined to be open to be
vulnerable I ended up sharing the news
with friends family and colleagues I
even did comparisons to this man you can
see the resemblance a song-and-dance man
also a skin cancer survivor of all the
messages I received and it was amazing I
opened myself up with my sisters deaths
I didn’t I got hundreds of emails posts
of support but the very best was this
one
the day of my surgery DK rocks that’s
Derek Kent by the way I know your
university students
that was the day of my surgery I left at
5:30 with my wife to the hospital it
gave me so much energy but you know what
vulnerability and facing adversity with
an open heart and an open mind has
helped me in my career I call this
confessions of a street fighter I want
to take you back to the 1990s no
smartphone no internet no Netflix I was
basically a caveman with nothing my
ambitions and confidence was sky-high
unfortunately so was Canada’s
unemployment rate I was rejected by some
of the best companies in Canada a
virtual fortune 100 of thanks but no
thanks
I was living on my friend’s beat-up ikea
couch eating lots of kraft dinner I
decided to take fate in my hands and
cold call the Liberal Party of Canada I
asked if there was a job available the
person on the other end of the line said
no not a paying job we have a job as an
unpaid assistant at reception I said you
know understand I’ve got a university
degree I don’t answer phones they said
that’s the job so I took it and
sometimes when you’re starting out your
career you have to take the lousy job to
get the great job and that was proven
true in my case
I would end up going to Ottawa and
working for the federal government a
great job but in politics sometimes you
have to make a move before politics
makes a move on you I would go on to
land a job a dream job at Nike and Nike
Canada and after performing there I got
tapped to work at world headquarters
Nike whq when I told my then fiance the
news
I’ve got this amazing opportunity it’s
my dream job I know we’re newly engaged
but we’re going to move across the
continent
away from your family and friends I told
her on a trip from Montreal to Toronto
she cried the whole way that’s five
hours people including rest stops that’s
the change that she didn’t want that
changed everything
I remember a moment with my boss
when I got to world headquarters much
bigger campus 6600 people I was the
Canadian kid we had a new house we had a
new daughter my home life made work
life’s a struggle I was struggling at
work I decided to be vulnerable I told
my boss at a sushi lunch I think I need
help I don’t think I’m performing up to
expectations he confirmed my worst fears
I had to listen and think not just hear
and react and then I had to act on what
I heard I turned it around we set up a
game plan before I knew it the same guy
who was telling me you got to up your
game was sending me to New York City for
the best job in my view at the company
US media relations director for Nike Inc
I got to rub shoulders with superstars
who only operate on a first-name basis
Serena Rafa Roger
it was heady times I was working around
the clock I was bringing my a-game you
don’t happen sometimes life gets in the
way
Keltie got sick I was an only child I
needed to come home
that’s when the Canadian Olympic team
called they said they wanted a
storyteller they wanted somebody who
could apply everything that I learned
and help Team Canada it was a risk I had
to be vulnerable I had to realize I was
leaving a great job with stock options
and amazing opportunities at a great
company but join the unknown of the
praat of the public sector the
not-for-profit sector so I joined up
after six months of interview process I
became CMO of the CEO see this is what
I’ve learned it’s never the change we
want that changes everything
think about it
for me the bobsleigh ride is like a
metaphor for life
it goes far too quickly you have a
choice to get in that bobsleigh or not
sometimes there’s unexpected turns that
make your stomach churn sometimes
there’s an invisible hand pushing you
down but you know what at the finish
line exhilaration I urge all of you when
presented with a choice get in that sled
don’t pass up an opportunity because
you’re scared be vulnerable so when you
set out in your careers and in your
lives be vulnerable be resilient be bold
take risks simple words they have helped
guide me in my life and I hope they
guide you in yours thank you very much
[Applause]
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