Chris helps audiences become champions of their businesses, their worlds and themselves. He has spoken to nearly every industry and kind of audience—from Fortune 500 Companies to non-profits, from sales groups to venture capitalists and engineers.
“Bumps and the bruises don’t stop him. His website says that he is an Extreme Athlete, Mountain Bike Racer, Paralympian, Husband, Father, Friend. From experience, I can tell you that he gives each equal weight. He’s the best friend you could find. I’d imagine that daughter Ella and wife Heidi would agree that he makes them feel like the most important people in the world. And he’s never had a bad day.”
No matter how smart, rich, strong, educated we are we will struggle. Death of loved ones, divorce, bankruptcy, disease, addiction or many other things will have the power to force us to question everything we believe about ourselves and every decision we’ve ever made.
I know struggle of traumatic injury but more damaging the struggle of complacency, indecision, and insecurity
When I look back I miss the struggle (the two a day training sessions, the times that I was so sore it felt like someone had hit across the top of my back with a baseball bat) more than I miss the medals. The daily struggle was the part. It was my connection to my world and friends and colleagues
Chris Waddell, a 13-time Paralympic medalist and Hall of Fame athlete, is a powerful voice for overcoming adversity and unlocking human potential. After a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down, Chris refused to accept limitation. He went on to summit Mount Kilimanjaro (nearly unassisted) and now leads initiatives like One Revolution Foundation and the Nametags Program, sharing his message: “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do with what happens to you.”
As an internationally sought keynote, Chris speaks to corporate, educational, and nonprofit audiences about change, resilience, identity, and transformation. He has been featured on Oprah, Dateline NBC, and The Today Show, and his TEDx talk “Nametags” has gained global reach.
Chris Waddell’s story is one of unimaginable resilience, boundless courage, and the relentless pursuit of possibility. After a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down, Chris refused to let adversity define him. Instead, he redefined what was possible—not just for himself, but for millions who would come to be inspired by his journey.
As a Paralympic medalist, world-record-holding mountain climber, acclaimed children’s author, and the founder of One Revolution and the Nametags Education Program, Chris has turned hardship into hope, and limitation into liberation.
Chris Waddell brings unparalleled authenticity to the stage. A former collegiate skier at Middlebury College, Chris’s life took a dramatic turn when a skiing accident caused a spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed. What followed was a journey of transformation that would captivate the world. Refusing to be limited by his circumstances, Chris became one of the most decorated Paralympic athletes in U.S. history, winning 13 medals across four Games. He is also the first nearly unassisted paraplegic to summit Mount Kilimanjaro—a feat that showcased his physical endurance and mental tenacity.
Chris’s lived experience gives him deep credibility and trustworthiness. He has been featured on NBC’s Dateline, Oprah, and The Today Show, and was named one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.” He’s also been inducted into both the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and the Paralympic Hall of Fame, reinforcing his status as an icon in sport and perseverance. His TEDx Talk, “Nametags,” has become a widely shared message of self-definition and inner strength.
Beyond athletics, Chris is an accomplished author. His children’s books, including Is It Lonely to Be a Four-Leaf Clover?, instill messages of inclusion, kindness, and resilience. As the founder of the One Revolution Foundation, he champions the belief that “it’s not what’s wrong with you—it’s what’s right with you,” helping young people and professionals alike recognize their own power.
His keynote presentations extend these values to corporate audiences, blending personal narrative with universal lessons on grit, adaptability, and innovation.
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In this 14-minute keynote, Paralympic champion and adventurer Chris Waddell shares how interdependence, courage, and mindset fuel achievement — on the mountain and in life.
In No One Climbs a Mountain Alone, Chris Waddell delivers a deeply personal and powerful talk that redefines what it means to succeed. Drawing from his 2009 climb up Mount Kilimanjaro — where he became the first nearly unassisted paraplegic to reach the summit — Chris explains that his greatest revelation wasn’t just about reaching the top, but realizing that no goal is accomplished alone.
He begins by recounting the moment that changed his life: a skiing accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Instead of surrendering to despair, he focused on adapting, rebuilding, and ultimately redefining what was possible. Using vivid imagery from his Kilimanjaro ascent, Chris describes the physical and emotional challenges of each stage — from the steep terrain to moments of exhaustion and doubt.
The heart of his message is that true strength lies in interdependence, not isolation. He honors the local guides, friends, and supporters who helped make his climb possible, drawing parallels to teamwork, leadership, and empathy in business and everyday life. Chris reminds audiences that courage is not the absence of fear but the choice to keep moving despite it — and that success comes from vulnerability, trust, and collaboration.
The video closes with a stirring reflection on purpose: every person, regardless of ability or background, can climb their own mountain by focusing on gratitude, persistence, and connection.
In this 5-minute showreel, Paralympic champion and inspirational speaker Chris Waddell shares his journey of resilience, reinvention, and leadership, reminding audiences that true success is built on perspective and perseverance.
This showreel presents Chris Waddell’s remarkable story — from elite skier to life-altering injury and beyond. Through a montage of live keynote moments, interviews, and footage from his historic climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, the video encapsulates his message that “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do with what happens to you.”
Chris recounts how, after a skiing accident left him paralyzed, he refused to be defined by limitation. Instead, he rebuilt his life with focus, humor, and relentless optimism — ultimately becoming one of the most decorated Paralympians in history. The video intercuts scenes of packed auditoriums, media appearances, and mountain landscapes to illustrate how he turns adversity into a platform for leadership and inclusion.
Waddell speaks about the mindset shift that transformed his recovery into a mission: helping others find strength in challenge. His energy and authenticity resonate deeply, showing that vulnerability, trust, and gratitude are essential to any climb — personal or professional. The reel closes with Chris’s central call to action: embrace change, lead with empathy, and keep climbing, no matter the obstacle.
Resilience in adversity, identity beyond limitation, leading change, and transforming struggle into strength.
He aligns his personal story of overcoming with frameworks for culture change, adaptation, leadership, and mission in organizations.
His principle: “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do with what happens to you.” This idea helps listeners reclaim agency and purpose even in crisis.
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