Overcoming Adversity Speakers

Fee Range: Inquire

Diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy as a child, Kyle Pease had grown up supporting his athlete brothers Brent and Evan from the sidelines. While his condition limited his ability to play sports, it didn't dampen Kyle's passion for them, nor did it stop the Pease family from including Kyle in everything. Neither he nor his family treated his disability like a tragedy, and instead used it to fuel his dreams and spirit; from rolling his wheelchair up Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park to zipping down snow-covered Colorado slopes, there was never a dull moment with the Pease family. Where there was a wheel, there was a way - to adventure! Brent and Kyle speak to audiences across the nation, sharing their message of inclusion and define what is truly possible. Their presentations interweave both their perspectives of PEASY life and their KONA quest, and Kyle and Brent recount the experiences that shaped the undying bond that has resonated between them since childhood; through their strength and tenacity audiences are inspired to stand up, face their own challenges and embrace change.

Fee Range: $12,500–$12,500
Travels From: GA

Known most notably for one of the biggest comeback stories of our era, Bethany Hamilton has since become synonymous with inspiration. At the age of thirteen, on October 31, 2003, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai's North Shore. The attack left Bethany with a severed left arm. After losing over 60% of her blood, and making it through several surgeries without infection, Bethany was on her way to recovery with an unbelievably positive attitude. Today she is a  New York Times Best Selling Author, who's life has been featured in a Hollywood movie. A professional surfer, and spiritual icon, Bethany is a sought after public speaker. She is motivating audiences worldwide to live their life with more tenacity, courage and faith.

Fee Range: $20,000–$40,000
Travels From: HI

Carey Lohrenz is a dynamic communicator with an incredible story. As the first female F-14 Tomcat pilot, she was a pioneer in military aviation. Having flown missions worldwide as a combat, mission-ready United States Navy pilot, Carey Lohrenz is used to working in fast moving, dynamic environments where inconsistent execution can generate catastrophic results.

Fee Range: $30,000–$40,000
Travels From: MN

Fee Range: $6,500–$10,500
Travels From: CO

Fee Range: $15,000–$25,000
Travels From: TX

Fee Range: $7,000–$18,000
Travels From: CA

Fee Range: $15,000–$30,000
Travels From: TX

Fee Range: Inquire
Travels From: MA

Fee Range: $32,000–$68,500
Travels From: NY

Fee Range: $15,000–$27,500
Travels From: TX

•At the age of eleven, she developed two rare neurological conditions, transverse myelitis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which left her in a vegetative coma for 4 years and unable to use her legs for nearly a decade •Won a Gold Medal and three Silver Medals in the London Paralympic Games for swimming as well as multiple World, American, and Pan American Records •On-air TV personality for ESPN, reporting for the X-Games, the Invictus Games, and SportsCenter, to name a few •Was a 2017 semi-finalist on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, and has since made many more major media appearances, including on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and in People Magazine, among others

Fee Range: $15,000–$20,000
Travels From: MA

Fee Range: $25,000–$40,000
Travels From: ME

Fee Range: $7,500–$15,000
Travels From: TX

You must keep secrets but skillfully persuade others to tell you theirs. You have to love your country but willingly leave it behind for dangerous operations around the world. You need to live a double life but be trustworthy enough to carry out the nation’s most sensitive tasks. Michele Rigby Assad was one of those people. Working undercover for the CIA, she served in treacherous areas throughout the Middle East—a woman leading some of the most highly skilled operatives on the planet. The threats were real. The missions were perilous. And deep inside, Michele wondered: Could she really do this job or had she misunderstood her life’s calling? In her book Breaking Cover, Michele has at last been cleared to drop cover and tell her story of incredible struggle, of unexpected challenges and thwarted missions, and most significantly, of powerfully realizing what really matters in the face of her greatest fears. Breaking Cover is currently in production to be made into a major motion picture.

Fee Range: $10,000–$20,000
Travels From: FL

You might recognize him as an NFL All-Pro or as an elite magician who made the finals of America’s Got Talent and regularly appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. But Jon Dorenbos says that what he does is not who he is. Who he is is someone forced, at the most tender of ages, to coach himself into turning tragedy to triumph. He retired from the NFL after having successful open heart surgery to repair a defective aortic valve.

Fee Range: Inquire
Travels From: CA

Brandon Webb is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, Sniper, and finished his time in the Navy as the Naval Special Warfare Sniper Course Manager. A passionate Entrepreneur (SOFREP.com & CrateClub.com) and a New York Times bestselling author. He is a member of YPO New York City and, Harvard Business School OPM 56.

Fee Range: $14,000–$36,500
Travels From: NY

Fee Range: $10,000–$18,000
Travels From: CO

As an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, eleven-time New York Times best-selling author, and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, Don Yaeger has fashioned a career as one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story. He is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. He is also often retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders, management teams, and employees on building a culture of greatness by studying great teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them.

Fee Range: $15,000–$45,000
Travels From: FL

Fee Range: $12,000–$25,000
Travels From: CA

•Leland is the first person drafted into the National Football League to have also flown in space. •He was featured on National Geographic's One Strange Rock, hosted by Will Smith, where he explained how his brain repaired itself after an injury that left him deaf and almost stopped him from ever going to space. •Even after being medically disqualified to fly in space by NASA flight surgeons, •Leland completed two Space Shuttle missions to help build the International Space Station. •Leland served as the co-chair of the White House's Federal Coordination in STEM Education Task Force, developing the nation's 5-year plan for STEM education, and as NASA Associate Administrator for Education. •His memoir, Chasing Space, shares his personal journey from the gridiron to the stars. •Leland served as a consultant on National Geographic's second season of Mars..

Fee Range: $25,000–$44,000
Travels From: VA

Fee Range: $15,000–$25,000
Travels From: MN

•Sustained burns on 100% of his body after childhood accident, with a 1% chance to survive •Best-selling author of the book, On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life •Reminds audience of the significance of daily attitudes, the power of gratitude, and the impact of serving others with courage

Fee Range: $10,000–$30,000
Travels From: MO

Sampson Davis, MD, is an infectious, compelling storyteller that all should hear. His true rags-to-riches journey leaves audiences inspired and filled with motivation. Growing up in one of America’s toughest cities, he made the transition from life-threatening quarters to a highly sought-after professional speaker, best-selling author and specially skilled, life-saving physician. Davis spends his time practicing medicine and traveling the country delivering keynote speeches with timely messages. Davis believes it is important to give education a sense of style and fashion. To glorify and glamorize education is the key. A face must be present, a concrete image that all individuals across America can draw inspiration from. Davis considers his 3 D’s, Dedication, Determination and Discipline, as the necessary ingredients to success. Davis’ speeches will detail topics including mental health, substance abuse, diversity in the medical field and his calling to care as an act of reciprocity.

Fee Range: $15,000–$30,000
Travels From: NJ