Josh Sundquist: Motivational Paralympian
Paralympian, cancer survivor, and bestselling author who transforms adversity into unforgettable lessons on resilience, creativity, and courage.
Quick Facts:
- Highlights:
- Childhood cancer to Paralympian
- 1+ billion viral views
- Emmy-winning Apple TV+ show
- Formats: Keynote talks, motivational sessions, leadership conferences, virtual events
- Audiences: Corporates, educators, healthcare, youth organizations, associations
- Outcomes:
- Rekindle adaptability through humor and self-belief.
- Build resilience by celebrating incremental progress.
- Bring empathy to leadership through lived vulnerability.
- Travels from: Santa Monica, CA
- **Fee range: On Request
Talent Services
Keynote Topics:
1MT1MT: ONE MORE THING, ONE MORE TIME
Josh shares how his training motto—One More Thing, One More Time—carried him from cancer and amputation to Paralympic skiing, bestselling books, and Apple TV+. It’s a hilarious, heart-wrenching, and surprisingly practical exploration of what it means to be—and to thrive as—a human.
Part masterclass in resilience, part strategy session, Josh blends comedy, storytelling, and interactive moments to deliver a powerful message about “adaptive resilience” in the face of challenge. Josh delivers an unforgettable experience that will leave your audiences gasping for air—from laughter, from awe, from the sheer audacity of hope. Your team will be uplifted by hard-won insight and empowering humor. They will go home feeling connected to deep wells of inner courage, ready to conquer their own mountains.
Talent Short Bio
Josh Sundquist is a Paralympian, bestselling author, Emmy-winning Apple TV+ storyteller, and electrifying motivational speaker. At the age of nine, he lost his left leg to cancer, yet persisted to become a member of the U.S. Paralympic ski team. His best-selling memoir, Just Don’t Fall, and his memoir-based Apple TV+ series Best Foot Forward, chronicle his extraordinary journey with heart, humor, and humility.
Josh’s viral storytelling backed by over a billion views across platforms melds stand-up comedy with poignant reflection, earning him recognition as a leader in adaptive resilience. Over the years, he has addressed audiences ranging from The White House and Fortune 500 companies to schools, delivering customized keynotes under his mantra “1MT1MT” (One More Thing, One More Time). He delivers with warmth, laughter, and clarity, showing how courage and humor can transform adversity into opportunity.
Read Full Bio
Josh Sundquist is a Paralympian, bestselling author, and Emmy-winning Apple TV+ storyteller whose videos have generated over one billion video views. He inspires audiences to live by his mantra 1MT1MT (One More Thing, One More Time).
Your attendees will leave energized and equipped to:
- Foster forward-thinking amid market volatility
- Rebound from disappointment
- Do 1MT1MT to embrace transformation
- Keep a growth mindset—and a sense of humor
Josh collaborates closely with your planning team to customize each keynote to your audience, event theme, and company culture. He blends clean stand-up comedy with soulful storytelling and research-backed takeaways. Hilarious audience interactions are punctuated by moments of profound reflection. It’s a roller-coaster experience of laughter, insight, and inspiration.
Audiences leave with renewed resolve to overcome both personal and professional challenges. They gain a fresh perspective on grit, gratitude, and potential. Josh Sundquist’s message of 1MT1MT becomes a lasting internal mantra. Months and even years later, attendees quote the keynote and apply its lessons with their teams. It’s an experience they’ll never forget.
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Talent Videos
Josh Sundquist – Motivational Keynote Highlights
Josh delivers a dynamic mix of humor and inspiration, weaving personal stories, resilience frameworks, and audience laughter into a keynote that sticks.
Video Summary & Key Moments
- Humor & Creativity: Shares inventive Halloween costumes, proving that constraints spark creativity rather than limit it.
- Resilience Mantra: Introduces his motto 1MT1MT (“one more thing, one more time”), encouraging audiences to keep pushing beyond setbacks.
- Olympic Dream: Recounts his journey from amputation at nine years old to marching in the Paralympic Games wearing the red, white, and blue of Team USA.
- Facing Change: Redefines setbacks as opportunities, framing them as “adaptive resilience.”
- Humor About Hair Loss: Lightens the room with jokes about aging and hair loss, tying it back to gratitude for survival and growth.
- Key Challenge: Encourages people to tackle their hardest tasks first—“worst first”—to build strength and momentum.
- AI & Humanity: Explains how technology (like his AI-controlled leg) makes him more human, not less, because it makes him a better father.
- Representation: Shares the importance of visibility for people with disabilities—being the role model he never had as a child.
- Final Inspiration: Reflects on his childhood amputation and the advice he’d give his 9-year-old self: “No matter how many times you fall down, just keep getting back up.”
Key Moments
0:00 – 1:15: Creative Halloween costumes as a metaphor for reframing constraints
1:20 – 3:00: The 1MT1MT motto and Paralympic journey
3:05 – 5:30: Adaptive resilience + “worst first” principle
5:35 – 7:30: Humor about aging, hair loss, and gratitude for survival
7:35 – 9:00: Technology & AI leg → how tools enhance humanity
9:05 – 10:30: Representation and pride in being “the same sort of different”
10:35 – End: Emotional closing: advice to his younger self + audience testimonials
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Speaker fees can vary depending on factors such as expertise, demand, and event specifics. While some speakers may charge a flat fee for their services, others may have hourly rates. It’s best to discuss fee structures directly with the speaker or their representative to understand the pricing model.
What is the typical duration of a keynote speech and what is included?
Keynote speeches typically range from 30 to 90 minutes, with the duration determined by the speaker’s expertise, the event’s agenda, and audience preferences. Keynote speeches often include a combination of inspirational stories, practical insights, and actionable advice tailored to the event’s theme or objectives.
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Additional tips and takeaways
- Virtual speaking appearances are a cost-effective alternative to high speaking fees, often 10-50% cheaper than in-person rates.
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- Some motivational speakers are open to discounting their fee if hired for more than one event by the same organization.
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