Travels from Alberta, Canada
Warren Macdonald's speaking fee falls within range: $15,000 to $20,000
A catastrophic moment redefined Warren Macdonald’s life in April 1997 when a one-ton boulder fell on him during an excursion on a remote Australian island. For two days the avid environmentalist lay trapped and alone. Warren survived the ordeal losing both legs at mid thigh, but he didn’t lose his ability to pursue his passion and live life to the fullest.
Though doctors told him he’d never walk again, Warren to this day is quick to point out, “I don’t recall them saying anything about cycling, kayaking, or climbing mountains…” Just ten months after his amputation, he scaled Cradle Mountain, but he didn’t stop there. In February 2003, Warren became the first double above-knee amputee to reach the summit of Africa’s tallest peak, Mt Kilimanjaro.
Warren’s charisma and gripping story of resilience have made him an in-demand motivational speaker on the topics of change management, and overcoming adversity. He walks the talk, and that is the secret to his natural ability to connect with, and move people on an intellectual and emotional level. His story has been featured on Oprah, Larry King Live, the Discovery Channel, and National Geographic, among other media outlets.
Warren Macdonald’s inspirational survival story began in April 1997 with his accident on North Queensland’s (Australia) Hinchinbrook Island. Climbing to the Island’s tallest peak, he became trapped beneath a one-ton boulder in a freak rock fall. Two days later he was rescued, only to undergo the amputation of both legs at mid-thigh.
Just ten months later, he climbed Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain using a modified wheelchair and the seat of his pants.
In 2003, he became the first double above-knee amputee to reach the summit of Africa’s tallest peak, Mt Kilimanjaro (19,222ft). Later that same year, in a spectacular effort requiring more than 2,800 pull-ups over 4 days, he climbed America’s tallest cliff face, El Capitan. Warren is also the only above knee amputee to make an ascent of Canada’s landmark frozen waterfall, the 600 ft “Weeping Wall” in Alberta.
Warren’s bestselling first book, A Test of Will is the subject of the “Trapped under a Boulder” episode of the Discovery Channel series “I Shouldn’t Be Alive”.
His film documenting the epic four-week journey to Federation Peak, Australia most challenging mountain summit, “The Second Step”, has been acclaimed worldwide, screening on National Geographic Television and winning eight international awards including Grand Prize at the prestigious “Banff Mountain Film Festival”.
Warren has appeared on numerous news and current affairs programs, including “Larry King Live”, “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, and “The Hour” with George Stroumboulopoulos.
Warren works with businesses and associations looking to develop their resilience and to help foster a mindset shift towards “out of the box” thinking through his work as a Keynote Speaker.
Warren lives in Canmore, Alberta with his partner Margo Talbot.
Warren Macdonald shares the gripping story about how his passion for finding connection in nature led to him getting trapped under a refrigerator-sized boulder on a remote island off the coast of Australia. He recalls in vivid detail the two thought provoking nights that he waited out in the wilderness, and the new life he began after his miraculous rescue. While he quickly learned to be independent in daily life despite having lost his legs and needing a wheelchair, he could not help but wonder if he could find a way to regain that one past time that gave him clarity, peace of mind, and truly made him feel alive. “I eventually discovered that you can put mountain bike wheels on a wheelchair,” Warren says, as he narrates how he found ways to reclaim his ability to venture into nature and “experience it on its own terms.”
Inspirational keynote speaker Warren Macdonald helps organizations navigate uncertainty and build resilience. Whether your audience is from finance or sales, healthcare or a Fortune 500, Warren can help your team take on a proactive attitude and renew their sense of purpose and perspective. Using his dramatic story of survival and adjustment, Warren inspires your audience to equip themselves with a mindset that seeks solutions and sees opportunities rather than obstacles.
The Perception Gap
Leadership begins where certainty ends.
When uncertainty increases, so does the pressure on leaders.
Teams look for direction.
Decisions become more difficult.
The future becomes less predictable.
In those moments, success depends on one often-overlooked skill: the ability to recognize The Perception Gap—the space between what happens and the meaning we attach to it.
That pause may last only a moment.
But it changes everything.
Because perception: - Shapes decisions. - Decisions shape actions. - Actions shape results.
Drawing on three decades of navigating extreme uncertainty, Warren Macdonald equips leaders with a practical way to think more clearly, decide more confidently, and lead more effectively when certainty disappears.
Your audience won’t simply leave inspired by Warren’s story.
They’ll leave with a fundamentally different understanding of what’s possible for themselves, their teams and the challenges ahead.
Expected Outcome: Participants leave with a practical approach to navigating uncertainty with greater clarity and confidence. By recognizing The Perception Gap - the space between what happens and the meaning we first attach to it - they learn to pause, ask better questions, make better decisions, and respond more effectively when the stakes are high. Rather than simply feeling inspired, audiences leave with a framework they can apply immediately to leadership, change, decision-making and everyday life.
Key Takeaways: - Pause before you react - Recognize the moment where better decisions become possible. - Navigate uncertainty with greater clarity - Learn a practical approach for making decisions when certainty disappears. - Stop underestimating yourself - Leave with a fundamentally different understanding of what's possible.
Disrupt Yourself First: Navigating Change in an age of Uncertainty
2025 has been a year of disruption—and that trend shows no signs of slowing down. As we move into 2026, the Age of Uncertainty is becoming the new normal.
We can either be at the mercy of constant change, or we can choose to be proactive—finding opportunity in the midst of challenge, even when the curveballs come our way.
The key to thriving lies not in simply weathering the storm, but in using it to our advantage. When we disrupt ourselves first, we move beyond merely accepting change to embracing it as a catalyst for growth and achievement.
What can I put in my way to force disruptive change?
Expected Outcomes: This presentation gives attendees the confidence to see change not as an obstacle, but as a catalyst for personal and team growth. Expect a mindset shift—from reactive to responsive, from avoidance to action.
Key Takeaways: - Practical self-disruption tools to maintain a critical edge. - A clear outline of a simple resilience practice. - Specific, real-time micro-strategies to strengthen resilience under pressure.
Return on Resilience: Bouncing Back is just the Beginning
If COVID has taught us anything, it's that we can never have too much resilience... As things get back to "normal", we'll want to continue our resilience practice to fortify ourselves against future curveballs; setting ourselves up to take advantage of opportunities that come our way post pandemic.
This keynote presentation focuses on what we can do to prepare for our challenges in advance. On how we can fortify ourselves against the curveballs and roadblocks before they happen by practicing resilience.
Expected Outcomes: This keynote presentation is designed to move your team from “I can’t” to “Bring it!” To instill the understanding that by facing our challenges; seeking them out even, we build the strength and resilience required when bigger problems come our way.
Key Takeaways: - An understanding of how resilience is banked, and is transferable across all areas of our lives. - Specific tools and techniques to build resilience. - Learn that “Bouncing Back” is just the beginning. By practicing resilience, we position ourselves to Bounce Forward towards our goals.
The Challenge of Change: Finding Opportunity in Adversity
We’ve all heard it a million times; “change is constant”, “the only certainty in life is change”, “change or perish”. We all know it; what we need is for someone to show us how to deal with it. Warren’s “Challenge of Change” presentation will help your group realize that challenges brought on by change hold endless opportunities for innovation and personal and professional growth. That it’s the challenges we face that build the resilience we need as we’re asked to do more, with less . . . That it is possible to not just survive, but to thrive despite adversity.
Expected Outcomes: You’ll learn to see change as an inevitable, ongoing process that we’re all engaged with; not just something that “happens to us”. That by changing the way we see change, changes everything… You’ll never look at adversity in the same way again.
Key Takeaways: - Foster the ability to recognize and breakthrough mental barriers to change. - Tools to build resilience for both business and personal growth. - A powerful shift in thinking that will put challenges into perspective. - Develop a breakthrough mindset that seeks solutions and opportunities.
One Step Beyond: Setting and Reaching Impossible Goals
It’s all well and good to set seemingly impossible goals; the kind that has your team looking at you like you’re nuts. Like this time you’ve really lost it . . . You need them to see what you see. You need to convince them, to inspire your team to follow you. To show them what is possible when you’re prepared to go One Step Beyond...
Beyond ordinary
Beyond conventional
Beyond perceived limitations
Expected Outcomes: You can expect your team to become engaged in raising the performance bar. Carol Gardibie sums it up best in her testimonial below.
Key Takeaways: - Reinforced understanding of the power of purpose, i.e.: when we have purpose, we have an edge... - The ability to see obstacles as stepping-stones toward our goals. - A clear understanding of the importance of preparation in reaching your goals.
“Your presentation was the highlight of the event and people are still commenting to me on how you have changed their perspective. You were bang on in understanding the challenges we face and connecting your own story to ours in a way we could all relate. You got it! You inspired our people to pick themselves up and feel good about themselves and what they do, despite their past and current challenges. This shift in perception, I’m sure, will prove invaluable as we move forward.”
Mike Cachia Team Leader – Recruitment / Syncrude
“The presentation you delivered was heartfelt and more than inspirational. You captured exactly what we were looking to hear and you weaved your story and teachings brilliantly throughout. We have been back to work a few weeks now and people are still talking about some of your key take-away messages. They were so simple and resounding..how could they not! Thank you again for choosing to spend time with us. We are better for it!”
Niall Quaid Director / Sales Communications & Training / Kraft
“Warren delivered an important message in an engaging way that really connected with our audience. He made an outstanding contribution in being the catalyst for our people to reflect on and take control of their own circumstances, and had a material impact on the success of our conference.”
Margaret Willis European Head of Wealth Management / HSBC Bank
“Your topic “One Step Beyond” was one of the best and most powerful keynotes I have had the pleasure of hearing. The topic had an impact for many of the attendees as the evaluation form for the Conference stated. Some of the words used to describe your keynote were “exceptional”, “inspiring”, “very, very moving” and “this keynote makes me want to climb mountains.”
Carol Gardibie Speaker Coordinator 2006 CAPLA Conference / Canadian Association of Petroleum Administration
Ariane Delessert ExxonMobil
“I would recommend him highly to anyone seeking a speaker who will engage an audience with an inspiring, humorously delivered message about how much any individual can accomplish, despite setbacks and obstacles, if they act with determination, perseverance, and a positive attitude. Warren demonstrates those qualities in spades, and an hour with him is an hour well spent.”
Bob Russell Assistant Commissioner, Atlantic Region, Canada Revenue Agency Vice-Chair, Nova Scotia Federal Council
“It has been several months now since you spoke to our sales team in Seattle and I wanted to let you know that your compelling presentation has had both a meaningful and lasting impact on our group.
Our team is still referencing the things that you talked about and I was very pleased and excited to learn that you have been presenting to Dex sales teams in other parts of my region, as well as, other regions in RH Donnelley, because I know, first hand, how powerful your message is.
You are an outstanding speaker with the ability to captivate your audience from your first words. Your use of humor allowed us to connect with the personal stories you shared and left our team inspired, motivated, and more importantly enlightened as to what they can achieve when they change the way they see the world.
Having worked with other speakers in the past, I was highly impressed with your caring to learn our business. You tailored your presentation far more than I was used to so that our goals were met.
Our team has set a huge goal; some would say insurmountable. After hearing you speak the goal seemed highly attainable by all. Many said, ′If he can accomplish what he has, I′ll never complain again… we can do this!′ By speaking directly to us, by drawing parallels linking your challenges to ours, you have fostered a belief in self within our team that has strengthened our resolve to turn our goals into reality.
We now have a blown up picture of a mountain in our office that reminds us that we can accomplish anything we put our minds to.
Thank you for that!”
Cathy Crump Regional VP Sales, Western Region Dex, an RH Donnelley Company
“Your message was right on point! We were very pleased with the way you conveyed the importance of choosing to overcome whatever obstacles life throws your way. Your genuine account of how you have faced physical disability and continued to excel in your endeavors provided the kind of inspiration that our practitioners and other employees needed to hear.”
Daryl Williams Director of Marketing Programs Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics
“Your keynote presentation on Monday was a huge success (in case you couldn′t tell by the standing ovation you received!). I′ve had so many people come to tell me that you were the best speaker we′ve ever had and how much it meant to them to hear your story. You have an amazing spirit that resonates in everything you say and do.
I highly recommend Warren as a keynote speaker for any organization. For those that may be facing hurdles that seem insurmountable, Warren will be the key that opens the door to what is possible when you confront challenges and move forward with determination and resolve.”
Laurie Watters-Smith Human Resources Coordinator Alberta Envirofuels Inc.
“You were able to effectively demonstrate to the audience that difficulties faced become achievable challenges if you have the desire and strength of will.
Your presentation was informing, heartfelt and humorous. You easy-going style made the audience instantly warm to you and feel connected to your experience.”
Louise McLaren Novo Nordisc Pharmaceuticals
“For days our staff continued to discuss some of the many points you left with us. I think that in addition to helping point out just how capable we are as individuals you also did a good job in reminding us how much stronger we are as a team. For any organization that is interested in helping their people realize how endless their potential really is I would not hesitate for a moment to recommend they have you spend some time with them sharing your remarkable story.”
Michael Fish President, Keir Surgical Ltd.
“The impact your visit had on our organization has been profound. Four weeks later my team are still discussing what you taught us and continue to reflect on how your attitude to life, obstacles and challenges can benefit them in their own lives…
The relevance, clarity and poignancy of your presentation and subsequent conversations with our people has helped us refocus on the tasks we have to complete and bought the team closer together…
We cannot recommend highly enough to any other organization the benefits of engaging you to speak with them.”
Stephen Peacock Motability Finance Limited
I want to take this opportunity to thank you once again for helping to make our event a huge success. You understood from our pre-event conversation exactly what it was we needed to convey and delivered that message in an engaging and thought provoking way.
By skillfully blending your story with challenges currently facing our industry (obviously, you′d done your homework) you managed to convey to us not so much what we wanted to hear, but what we needed to hear.
Your message “when we change the way we see the world, we change the world” resonated profoundly with our group, reinforcing for us how our perception, beginning with the way we see ourselves, effects others. Helping us to see this so clearly has proved invaluable in our dealing, not only with our clients, but amongst ourselves. For this we thank you.
Steven Smith Director of Marketing Shoppers Home Health Care
Thank you so much for your presentation at our 2007 Dex Spokane kickoff in January. I know I speak for my team and our guests, as well as myself when I say it was a huge success!
In the past, speakers we′ve engaged for these occasions have either been sales or industry professionals. This year we chose you, however, because we realized we were facing an enormous challenge with the task we′d set for ourselves, and reaching our objective was going to take a whole lot more than just sales skills and industry knowledge. This year was about strength of mind and determination and refusing to say “quit.” We needed somebody to open our minds and boost our courage and I must say, you definitely did that!
Your words and the story you told us were THE topic of conversation for the three days we were together. And that′s exactly what I was hoping would be the case. I wanted my team to remember they alone are responsible for their success. I wanted them to re-connect with that inner strength some of them had forgotten they possessed. You helped us find that connection, Warren.
As we move into this campaign, thanks to you, we′re more focused, more confident, and more determined than ever that we can and will overcome any challenge we face.
With warm regards and my thanks,
Vicki Hefley Regional Sales Director, Western Region Dex, an RH Donnelly Company
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On the night of April 9, 1997, Warren Macdonald, a fit and experienced bushwalker, set out to climb Mount Bowen on Hinchinbrook Island, an unspoiled tropical paradise off the Australian coast. These would be his last steps as a fully intact human being: a freak rock fall pinned him for two days alone under a one-ton boulder, resulting in a double leg amputation. A Test of Will is a story both tragic and inspiring, conveying the horror of what happened and the extraordinary spirit that helped Macdonald survive a seemingly impossible ordeal.
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