Janine Shepherd

Founder of The School For Resilience, Olympic-Bound Skier Turned Aerobatic Pilot, Recipient of the ‘The Outstanding Young Person’s of The World’ Award, Bestselling Author, Order of Australia (Highest Civilian Honor)

Topics: Resilience, Inspirational & Motivational, Success, Sports, Attitude, Best Selling Author, Personal Development, Storytelling, TED Speakers, Teamwork, Women Leaders, Elite Performance, Education, Leadership, Productivity

Biography

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.”

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Testimonials

Janine had the whole room enthralled– her story is undeniably epic, there were tears and laughter, and we loved every minute.

– Pricewaterhouse Coopers

Janine was the recipient of a standing ovation – the first ever afforded to a speaker in our fifteen-year history of conferences.

– Prudential Agents Association

Janine is a change agent. She has an extraordinary ability to ignite people's spirits and move them to find the real potential of their lives; her story inspires people around the world.

– Deepak Chopra

At the end you all ask yourselves, “So what was my problem again?"

– Colin Pearce & Associates

She touches every heart in the room and invites each of us to dream…to reach…to grow beyond our preconceived limits.

– Davidji

Janine is a dynamo!...honesty, integrity and communication skills far above the ordinary.

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Janine’s story...needs to be shared with all who are intimidated by, or who are unwilling to confront the many life challenges of today.

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...an incredible human being and a powerful speaker with a truly unique perspective on the world. (Our) future speakers have big shoes to fill!

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Booksby Janine Shepherd

Defiant: A Memoir

On My Own Two Feet

Never Tell Me Never

Dare To Fly

The Gift of Acceptance

For Meeting Planners

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Blog Posts

Mental Health Awareness: The Mark of a Modern Workplace

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Have you ever wanted to get more energy in your day-to-day activities? https://youtu.be/hltabhE0QRM Have you...

Use Improv as a Mindfulness Practice and Improve your Well-Being

🌟 Mental Fitness Through Improv & Mindfulness 🌟 https://youtu.be/xuAhzUGZ438 Mental fitness is not just about...

Innovative Event Strategies to Inspire Your Attendees with Courtney Mesmer

https://youtu.be/1erTgGFdyW8 Watch this week’s podcast episode here: YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon...

Valuable Life Lessons from Parenting & Overcoming Failures

Learn valuable life lessons from overcoming failure and parenting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJTIi-nhq60&list=PLXTlGHk63lLgbS8LN-PENXDzwMdqWAnOm "Life’s greatest lessons come from...

Pink October: Breast Cancer Awareness and the Power of Healing Our Emotional Histories

Pink October: Understanding the Connection Between Emotional Health and Breast Cancer This newsletter is brought...

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Reviews & Ratings

     Excellent  
     Based on 74 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Tim Mooney 
 August 20, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth was on point and tremendous help before and after the event! Two thumbs up!
  
 
       
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 August 14, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth is the real deal -- he knows the best speakers to make sure your event is successful. I've had the pleasure of working with Seth and The Keynote Curators and he's top notch. Also, his podcast is chock full of great insights and important topics. Thanks Seth!!
  
 
       
   M.D Milloy 
 August 8, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth is a great host, very inspirational and professional. Highly recommend!
  
 
       
   Aaron Farzam 
 August 3, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Keynote speaker searches have been overwhelmingl for me and my team.  Seth made the process easy.  Our expectations were exceeded. Great company. Highly recommended.
  
 
       
   Dante Fabro 
 July 29, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Keynote Speaker knowledge is unrivaled by Seth Dechtman and his team at The Keynote Curators.  If your event or conference requires a keynote speaker, call The Keynote Curators.  They are thorough and deliver the goods.  Seth makes sure that you get what you are looking for...in spades. Not to mention, Seth is very down to earth and speaks to people as equals. I really appreciate that. I'd recommend The Keynote Curators any day!
  
 
       
   Jamie Wright 
 July 25, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Found out about these folks through The Keynote Curators podcast - really great stuff!!
  
 
       
   Alison Levine 
 July 10, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great podcast with a wide variety of speakers, topics, and themes. You can learn something unexpected from every episode!
  
 
       
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 June 27, 2024
 
 
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 June 20, 2024
 
 
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Timely, professional, and most of all hit the mark. Cannot recommend them with more emphasis.

If you need a speaker for your event conference or any program, do not hesitate to contact Seth and his team.
  
 
       
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 June 12, 2024
 
 
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