Daniel Kowalski - Keynote and Guest Speaker

Daniel Kowalski

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

As a two-time Olympian swimmer, Daniel Kowalski never gave up through a career full of up’s and down’s, injuries and illness.

In order to achieve his dreams, he had to learn to overcome adversity, disappointment and his personal demons to push through. Both in and out of the pool, Daniel’s courage is inspirational.

Throughout his journey, he has made a huge impact in the world of sport and equality, and he shares a motivating tale on how to grow and prosper from what life throws at you.

Ask about Daniel Kowalski

Key Points

Daniel Kowalski is an Australian freestyle swimmer who won four Olympic medals at two Games; one gold, one silver and two bronze.
His career was plagued with injury, illness, adversity and disappointment, but he managed to push through it all to succeed in his goals and he now uses his experiences to assist others.
Outside of the pool, he is an ambassador for beyondblue, the Pinnacle foundation, and Australia’s Marriage Equality campaign.
He 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

Adversity … How to grow and prosper from what life throws at you
Teamwork: There’s no such thing as individual’s when it comes to sport or business
The importance of Communication; it’s a three way street
Organisational change; Don’t be scared to ask the hard questions
Cliques; the importance & power of the little things in life
The Journey: When a passion takes over; the life of an elite performer
Being different; it’s ok

Testimonials

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