Speaking
Hannah Macdougall brings her unique blend of elite athletic experience, well-being science, and personal resilience to the stage, delivering impactful talks tailored for both corporate environments and schools. In her sessions, Hannah connects authentically with audiences, using humor and relatable stories to break down barriers and foster a shared sense of humanity. From navigating life’s challenges to developing mindfulness and resilience, her presentations provide practical insights and tools that empower individuals to embrace change, face adversity, and cultivate a mindset of growth and kindness. Whether speaking to future leaders in the classroom or professionals in the boardroom, Hannah’s goal is to inspire action, build self-compassion, and leave everyone with practical steps they can apply in their own lives.
Key topics include, but are not limited to:
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Resilience in Action
Building adaptability, strength, and self-compassion through life’s challenges
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The Power of Breathwork and Mindfulness
Practical techniques to manage stress, increase focus, and promote well-being
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Beyond the Finish Line
Navigating transitions, embracing change, and redefining purpose
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Love and Grief – Two Sides of the Same Coin
Embracing the full spectrum of life with openness and humanity
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Embracing an Inclusive Mindset
Breaking down biases and fostering environments of belonging and respect
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Elevating Well-Being and Performance
Insights from elite sport and science-backed strategies for thriving in all areas of life
Testimonials
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“Hannah was an inspirational speaker at our event Celebrating Calisthenics – humble, witty and incredibly engaging l could have listened to her all night. Her messages around inclusion were powerful and relatable. l took away many things from Hannah’s presentation but her one-armed judo champion story will stick with me forever ‘what might appear to be an incredible weakness can in fact be the greatest strength”
Jen McIntyre - CEO Calisthenics Victoria
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“Thank you for being an incredible role model to show that anything is possible through persistent to a given goal. Inspiring these Grow Kids will help them in their endeavours to help others in need now and into their futures – you are an absolute star.”
Sarah - Grow Foundation
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“Thank you so much for helping us out with coming into PCW and speaking. So many students and teachers were talking about your speech the next day and saying how much they enjoyed listening to your story! …So many girls took a lot from the stories and I definitely look at situations differently now.”
Madeline Emery, PCW Melbourne
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“Hannah was a fantastic and inspiring guest speaker for us at an event on Innovation in the Disability Sector. She spoke in a passionate and well informed manner, and gave the audience plenty to think about from a sector and policy point of view, as well as from personal experience. Hannah was also part of our speaker panel, taking questions from the floor, and she responded extremely well to questions on a range of topics. Hannah was superb to plan our event with, and connected well during evening networking with our invited audience.”
Ruth Owen, Partner, Human Services, Ernst & Young
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“Hannah was one of the guest speakers at RMIT Sport’s Inspiring Leadership Program. She was a truly inspirational speaker that engaged with the students. Hearing her story and the importance of mental health and wellbeing provided valuable insights into each students leadership journey and how they can take the next step. If you ever get the chance to have Hannah be a guest speaker, I would highly recommend her! Thank you Hannah!”
Jono Ramanathan | Sport Officer (Social Sport & Events) RMIT Student Life | RMIT University
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“We had Paralympian Hannah MacDougall speak to parents, students and teachers and she was fabulous. She has had an incredible journey, is very easy to relate to and is very knowledgeable about how we can engage our mind to help us achieve success and increase wellbeing. She was able to talk about the benefits of mindfulness in a very accessible way. A confident and engaging speaker that I highly recommend!”
Hayley Anthony, Educational Psychologist, Head of Mindfulness, St Leonard’s College
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“Your story and your presentation were very inspiring! It’s wonderful that you are teaching young people (and oldies like me) about mindfulness. I really felt that your sharing of how long it took to transition to cycling and then succeeding in terms of winning medals, was very powerful. It helps give people a sense of how long developing profound expertise takes. For me it really resonated because in the last few years I have gone back to studying classical piano and French again and I know it will take a lot of time to become excellent- but somehow that’s actually quite a relief!”
Associate Professor Edwina Wright,
Alfred Health & Monash University
