NSB Logo Andrew Haley Andrew Haley

Andrew Haley

Speaker

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Paralympic Swimmer & Cancer Survivor

Andrew Haley is a champion at all levels! As a child, Andrew had cancer twice and each time was given a 35% chance to pull through. Although he lost part of his right leg, he never lost his fight. Despite the long odds he fought and won and has used that same fight all his life. Andrew truly believes that anything is possible and shows audiences that with a lot of hard work and determination you can own your destiny.

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
Contact us for more information about this speaker & their virtual presentations. Click here for some of the most popular formats for virtual events.
Gold Medal Mindset: A Paralympian’s Guide to Excellence Under Pressure

At the Olympic and World Championship level, excellence isn’t optional—it’s expected. Athletes at this tier don’t just compete; they redefine what’s possible through unshakable discipline, strategic execution, and emotional resilience. In this high-impact keynote, Andrew Haley—4-time Paralympian and World Champion swimmer—bridges the gap between elite sport with elite business performance.

Drawing on decades of international competition and team leadership, Andrew reveals how the habits and mindsets of world-class athletes are directly transferrable to corporate culture. This keynote reframes what greatness looks like in business and challenges professionals to operate at their full potential. Attend this keynote to discover how the mindset, strategy, and resilience of elite athletes can empower you to lead with excellence, unlock peak performance, and commit to your own gold medal moment—starting today.

🔑 Audience Takeaways

  • Gold Medal Mindset Activation Channel proven mental techniques—focus, grit, and resilience—to unlock personal excellence every day.

  • Emotional Control & Strategic Thinking Develop the habits elite performers use to stay calm, clear-headed, and decisive under pressure—and apply them to critical business challenges.

  • The 1% Advantage Harness the power of marginal gains to drive long-term, compounding success—one smart move at a time.

  • Progress Over Perfection Build a mindset of continual growth. Excellence isn’t about arriving—it’s about evolving, reflecting, and recommitting daily.

  • Thriving in Chaos Discover how elite competitors rise in turbulent conditions—and how to cultivate those traits in today’s fast-paced workplace.

  • Activate T.E.A.M. Energy Unleash the collaborative strength that lifts individuals and teams to new heights—because elite results never happen alone.

Perfect For: Corporate off-sites, executive retreats, annual summits, and performance culture kickoffs. Let Andrew take your team on an unforgettable journey—from adversity to mastery, from mindset to momentum, from potential to peak.

Redefining Possible: A Journey of Resilience, Identity, Belonging, and Inclusive Leadership

This keynote is a story of rising above—not merely surviving adversity but transforming it into purpose. It traces a journey shaped by unshakable resilience, deep introspection around identity, and a relentless commitment to inclusive leadership. At the heart of it all lies belonging—because true inclusion doesn’t begin when people show up; it begins when they feel safe, seen, and empowered to thrive.

Andrew Haley brings this journey to life through his lived experience—as a cancer survivor, Paralympic gold medalist, and changemaker who’s led with courage in sport and society. At just six years old, Andrew lost his leg to cancer. By eight, part of his lung was removed. Given only a 35% chance to survive—he never lost his fight. Through grit, belief, and a world-class competitor’s mindset, he redefined the possible—not just for himself, but for every space he entered.

Andrew’s voice as a Paralympic champion proves that greatness doesn’t follow a single path. His life and career embody the idea that leadership, skill, and excellence exist in all forms. Resilience isn’t a concept he teaches—it’s a reality he’s lived through surgeries, setbacks, and every hard-earned swim stroke toward global success.

💡 What Andrew Offers Your Team:

  • Authenticity That Inspires Action Andrew speaks from experience, not theory. His real-world journey connects deeply and moves people from passive listening to active reflection.

  • Representation That Sparks Belonging His presence on stage demonstrates that success is not limited by ability—it’s expanded by inclusion.

  • Perspective That Drives Change He redefines EDI as a path to cultural excellence—motivating teams to think bigger and build systems that actually work.

  • Performance Mindset Under Pressure Andrew shows how struggle fuels strength—and how the right support unlocks elite performance in every environment.

Andrew doesn’t aim to be simply motivational—he strives to be transformational. In a world craving bold, inclusive leadership, his voice cuts through the noise with honesty, impact, and inspiration. He helps teams think bigger, lead bolder, and discover their own gold medal mindset.

Redefining Possible: A Keynote for Medical Professionals

To those considering the right voice to uplift your event—

Imagine your audience filled with healthcare professionals—the ones who carry the weight of hope on their shoulders, the ones who fight battles others never see. Now imagine the voice that honors their strength, renews their purpose, and brings applause not just to their hands, but their hearts.  —   That’s the voice Andrew brings.

Cancer took his leg when he was just six and then two years later, it claimed part of his lung. But with each loss came something unexpected—his unshakable understanding of the power of choice. Because when everything feels uncertain, when your body is fighting to survive, you realize that you still get to choose how you respond. In Andrew’s case, he chose determination over despair and to keep dreaming even when the odds were clearly against him.

Today, he stands before audiences—not only as a Paralympic gold medalist—but as proof of what medical care can ignite. His story is not just about surviving—it’s about soaring. And the champions behind that journey? The doctors. The nurses. The caregivers who show up and give everything they have.

🏥 Why This Keynote Connects

  • Authenticity Meets Relevance: This isn’t just another speech—it’s a tribute. A heartfelt, high-energy tribute to those in medicine who perform daily miracles with precision and grace.
  • Disability as Insight, Not Limitation he shows how living with one leg and a reduced lung capacity hasn’t held him back—it’s refined how he trains, speaks, travels, and succeeds. That lived perspective changes how we design care.
  • Emotional Insight Meets Strategy: There is a connection between medical professionals and elite athletes—both driven, focused, resilient under pressure. This analogy resonates, validates, and empowers.
  • Customizable Impact: Whether your audience is oncology teams, surgical units, nurse leaders, pediatric specialists, or hospital executives, this keynote adapts while staying true to its core message: You are the reason possibility exists.

Your audience doesn’t need more statistics—they need to feel seen. They need to remember why they chose this path. They deserve to be honored with a keynote that matches their caliber. Andrew’s delivers that. Not just with words—but with lived truth.

Audience reviews:

  • I had a pleasure to invite Andrew to our team building unconference at Danfoss Drives. The audience consisted of approximately 100 people scattered across entire world. Andrew's passionate and inspiring speech about change and overcoming difficulties has managed to reach all of the participants. I am writing the recommendation few months after the event but the impression and impact still remains within the organization. - Global Pricing Manager, Danfoss
  • We had the absolute pleasure of having Andrew join us as a keynote speaker at our Annual National Meeting. Andrew brings a wealth of expertise, experience and knowledge to the table, and delivered a dynamic and engaging session that really resonated with our group. His ability to connect with our team while imparting valuable insights through powerful storytelling was a real asset to our meeting. We are grateful for the time, care and attention that Andrew took to learn about our business, and tailor his message to our specific needs. He really went above and beyond. I would highly recommend Andrew to any organization seeking an inspiring speaker. - Regional Marketing Manager, Eastern Canada for Asahi Canada
  • Andrew spoke with passion and enthusiasm about his childhood, battles with cancer, triumphs in the pool, and how he gives 110% living his life based not around the circumstances presented, but how he can react to them.
    he established a rapport with audience members young and old through his candid demeanour. Some were inspired by his athletic accomplishments, others by his drive and dedication. All agreed that he had an exceptional story to tell, and were thankful he shared it with us.

    - YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo
  • Your message of determination in the face of adversity was extremely impactful to me. The line I was most significantly left with was - 'tough times do not last, tough people do.' Your talk encouraged me to take a step back and really assess what I hold to be meaningful, and, most importantly, to list out goals that I have until now only seen as unachievable. You have proven that any height is reachable.

    - Attendee, Healthcare Supply Chain Network Conference
  • Andrew is a great speaker with a terrific message on courage and determination. He kept the audience engaged with his humor and upbeat message. I highly recommend him!

    - Andrew is a great speaker with a terrific message on courage and determination. He kept the audience engaged with his humor and upbeat message. I highly recommend him!
  • Andrew was simply amazing and a pleasure to work with. Someone who truly has a passion for sport, life, family and people. We had a very diverse audience and Andrew was a very down to earth speaker who everyone could easily connect to. I have heard several top speakers speak and he is up there with the best. I received lots of positive feedback.

    - Recreation Coordinator, Sports Services, City of Brampton
  • I have received feedback from many of our guests and they have indicated that your speech was incredibly motivational. I heard on more than one occasion you have inspired them to either improve their physical activities or elements of their family life.

    - Manulife Financial
  • Our entire team enjoyed working with you. You have a wonderful stage presence and a great story to tell. You were very well received by our attendees. It is always a great sign when the delegates are talking about the opening keynote speaker during the closing session.

    - Senior Vice President, World Congress
 

Speaker Biography

Andrew is on a journey to inspire and teach as many leaders as possible to commit to their own GOLD MEDAL MOMENT. He wants to encourage his audience to never give up and strive to achieve both personal and professional excellence that will help guide them to reach their full potential. Some of the global clients he has worked with are RBC, Air BNB, Asahi, Walmart, Amazon and Danfoss where he has focused on empowering employees to always go after their dreams with purpose and meaning. Andrew has had many setbacks in his life including losing part of his right leg as a child to cancer and being given only a 35% chance to survive. However, he didn’t want to just survive, he wanted to show people he could be something special despite his circumstances. As a competitive swimmer he would become a World and Paralympic champion and that eventually led to a hall of fame career.

How we show up every day is important to Andrew, and he is excited when he can deliver tangible strategies to help his audience pursue their own dreams. He has learned that success is built-on preparation and having a champion’s mindset combined with controlling the controllable. This is available to anyone if they want to win in life.