Daniel Kowalski OAM - Hire Keynote and Guest Speaker

Daniel Kowalski OAM

Olympian, Olympian Services Manager at the AOC and passionate equal rights advocate

Daniel Kowalski is one of Australia’s most loved and admired swimmers. A two-time Olympian, Daniel, has gone on to become one of Australia’s most sought after and refreshing speakers and up and coming administrators and human right advocates.

Are you seeking a motivational speaker with life experience? In 1999,the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) recommended to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that Daniel be nominated as the preferred sporting personality to address the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of Australian and World athletes. Daniel introduced a peace resolution on behalf of all the athletes at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The former General Manager of the Australian Swimmers’ Association, Daniel works tirelessly to represent the best interests of athletes and in turn has become one of Australia’s leading sport administrators driving for change in the athlete wellbeing and transition space, a role he is now passionately leading at the Australian Olympic Committee as the Head of Olympian Services.

A Health Science graduate from Bond University, Daniel has served in a number of key leadership roles; Australian Swimming Team Mentor at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2005 World Championships. Out of the pool, Daniel served as a Sporting ambassador for the United Nations. In this capacity he visited refugee camps on the Thai/Cambodia border. Dan rates this as highly as any of his sporting achievements.

In a cluttered and competitive speakers market, Dan is starting to stand out as one of Australia's unique speakers. An honest and humble speaker, Dan is not shy to show emotion or vulnerability and has an uncanny ability of engaging his audience whilst delivering key messages and experiences.

Whether it is in front of Corporate Australia or the local swimming club, Daniel has created a niche' that draws on principles needed to succeed in any facet in life, overcoming adversity and managing cultural change to name just a few.

More than just a 'retired swimmer', Daniel has tremendous experience in organisational change, equality and adversity to name just a few topics.

Daniel Kowalski OAM Book as a speaker/entertainer for your next event

Key Points for Daniel Kowalski OAM

Daniel Kowalski is a two-time Olympian who has gone on to become one of Australia’s most sought after and refreshing speakers and up and coming administrators and human right advocates.
He is the former General Manager of the Australian Swimmers’ Association, and is now Head of Olympian Services at the Australian Olympic Committee.
As an athlete, Daniel demonstrated remarkable ability to overcome adversity, with injuries and illness curtailing his career at times, he always found a way to overcome these.
Daniel has served in a number of key leadership roles; Australian Swimming Team Mentor at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2005 World Championships.
Daniel Kowalski was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2000 for services to sport, while also serving as an Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Topics for Daniel Kowalski OAM

Adversity... How to grow and prosper from what life throws at you
Walking the walk, talking the talk
Teamwork: There's no such thing as individual's when it comes to sport or business
Communication: It's a three way street!
Organisational change: Don't be scared to ask the hard questions
Cliqued words: The importance & power of the little things in life
The Journey: When a passion takes over; the life of an elite performer
Master of Ceremonies
Along with his keynote address skills, Daniel is also a proficient Master of Ceremonies, hosting a number of events for such organisations as Genes for Jeans, The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, American Express, Denton's Law Firm, Australian Olympic Committee, Australian Paralympic Committee, Westpac, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank, Australian Marriage Equality, Macquarie Bank, Beyond Blue, The Pinnacle Foundation & more.

Testimonials for Daniel Kowalski OAM

Daniel was an excellent speaker, very engaging, very interesting and would highly recommend.
Federation University Australia

Thanks again for joining the Amex team Daniel and for your authenticity when sharing your experience. Good luck with the career journey!
Vice President and General Manager
American Express International Payments

Very professional, well prepared and a great speaker on a difficult topic for him - that reading is better than sport. He really stole the show.
Fun 4 Kids Festival

Daniel was FANTASTIC! Engaging, witty, funny - he took our clients on quite a journey. He is a true champion with a great story that everyone who has ever doubted themselves can relate to - a truly wonderful person!
PricewaterhouseCoopers

The function we had Dan speak at was primarily an industry social function to mark the end of the year. Hence we sought a sportsperson, specifically one with an interesting story to tell. The feedback we received from those attending indicates that we certainly achieved this goal. Dan clearly connected with our dinner guests. Dan’s down-to-earth manner and humorously honest description of the pain, glory and disappointments that made up his career was a refreshingly welcome antidote to the egos and chest beating of many contemporary sportspeople.
ACSPA