Janine Shepherd's story reads like the plot of a Hollywood movie. A champion cross-country skier in training for the Winter Olympics, her life was irrevocably altered when she was hit by a truck on a bike ride. Doctors warned her parents that she was not expected to survive her extensive injuries and even if she recovered, she would never walk again. Janine's hopes of being an elite sportsperson were gone. But Janine refused to believe what medical staff were telling her and instead she focused every sinew of her being on healing her broken body and crushed morale. After spinal surgery and months in the hospital, she returned home in a wheelchair.
Struggling to come to terms with her shattered Olympic dreams, and wondering what life could now offer, Janine's fighting spirit was rekindled watching small planes flying overhead. At that moment she said to herself, "If I can't walk, I'll fly". And fly she did. Janine's miraculous recovery and subsequent achievements are a testament to the power of the human spirit. and one that will move and inspire all who hear it.
Today, Janine Shepherd is a best-selling author and internationally renowned speaker who travels extensively in Australia and all over the world sharing her story with others.
Presentation Topics
Never Tell Me Never: Embracing Adversity and Change
Janine is a gifted storyteller, who uses her wit humor, and impeccable timing to engage the audience. She shares her journey in an expansive, inspiring and universal way that touches every heart in the room and invites each of us to dream and reach beyond their preconceived ideas of what is possible. Her keynote presentation sows the seeds of growth and positive transformation in the hearts of her audiences. Janine takes us on an amazing journey. A journey on a road with so many twists and turns, so many deep valleys and steep hills that it mirrors the road we travel in own lives every single day. This is a story that takes us from the pinnacle of elite athletics competition to the pain and fear of being wheelchair- bound and facing the shattering reality of life-threatening and permanent injury; from the exhilaration of flight to the struggle of taking one difficult step at a time on a long road to recovery which continues to this day. Janine leaves her audience not only awed, humbled, and uplifted, but also causes them to think deeply about the way they live their own lives. Her listeners leave with a light heart and a conviction that they are able to change their attitude, find the power within and perform to the best of their abilities. Janine reveals how our greatest obstacles can become our greatest opportunities and shares the tools that have allowed her to transform her dreams into reality. She gives the audience insight into how they too can achieve this in their own lives.
Don't Bounce Back, Bounce Forward: Strategies for Cultivating Resilience
Janine believes that the greatest skill that we need in today's rapidly changing world is resilience. From the boardroom to the classroom, this is the skill that will enable us to overcome the inevitable challenges that we all face in life, and not only survive, but thrive. Janine believes that true resilience is the ability to not just bounce back, but to bounce forward. We grow from adversity when we choose to see every challenge as a seed for growth and transformation.
A Broken Body is not a Broken Person
Janine shares her powerful 18-minute TEDx talk that she delivered at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City. This presentation is transformative as Janine holds a mirror up for the audience to look deeply into their own lives and connect with something greater within themselves. After the talk, she uses the five chairs from her presentation as a tool to facilitate an interactive workshop for the audience.
The Gift of Acceptance: Letting Go of the Life You Had, to Get the Life that is Waiting For You.
Janine has come to realize that the process of finding acceptance has been crucial in her search for quality of life and peace of mind. She believes that whatever our circumstances may be, we all need to nurture acceptance in our lives in order to move on from tragedy or loss and find fulfillment. When we stop fighting with reality, and accept our present circumstances we are able to live fully and fearlessly. As Janine says, 'Life is not about having it all, but loving it all'.
Healthcare specific talk - Living Well After Injury, Illness and Trauma
As a spinal patient and partial paraplegic, Janine has a unique understanding and perspective on injury and trauma. Janine shares her personal experience of being a patient and living with a disability. Janine has witnessed first hand the teamwork that has gone into her recovery, from the surgeons who operated on her, to the nursing staff who cared to her, and the family that supported her. She shares her health and wellness philosophy and the tools she uses to maintain her sense of well-being. Janine's presentation gives insight to all those working in the healthcare industry as they see how their role in caring for patients can literally change a life.
