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Marnie McBean, O.C.

Three-Time Olympic Champion | High Performance Specialist | Ambition Mentor

Marnie McBean
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Speakers' Spotlight Showcase 2014
Walrus Talks: Expectation is Play's Enemy
Marnie
Marnie McBean Thumb
Marnie McBean
Speaker Reel
Marnie McBean Thumb
Speakers' Spotlight Showcase 2014
Walrus Talks: Expectation is Play's Enemy

As a specialist in transforming potential into peak performance, Marnie McBean has left an indelible mark on Canadian sports and beyond. She is one of Canada’s most accomplished Olympians who has dedicated her career to unlocking the potential within teams and nurturing the leadership capabilities within all. Drawing upon her extensive background as a performance coach and a top-tier competitor, McBean shares her universal framework for success, revealing invaluable lessons on performance and teamwork.

McBean’s Olympic journey spans an impressive 10 games, where she donned various roles, from athlete to media representative, from mentor to chef de mission. She is one of only two Canadians to have won three gold medals in the Summer Olympics and one of two women globally to have secured medals in all six boat classes. As a team and solo performer, McBean cracked the formula for success, winning 12 World and Olympic medals.

After retiring as an athlete, Marnie joined Team Canada’s leadership for seven Olympic Games, and was the chef de mission for the 2020 Tokyo Games. Her focus as a leader has always been on empowering her team emotionally and psychologically to reach their highest levels of performance, both on and off the field of play. As a keynote speaker, her insights into valuing differences within teams resonate deeply with audiences, and her ability to connect effortlessly with everyone leaves a lasting impact.

An Officer of the Order of Canada, McBean has always been a strong champion of social justice causes and an inspirational role model for young Canadian athletes. In recognition of her work, she has been awarded the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal and Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Today, McBean continues serving Canadians as an independent member of the Senate.

McBean holds a degree in kinesiology from Western University, as well as four honorary doctorates. She is a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, and the author of The Power of More: How Small Steps Help Us Achieve Big Goals.

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

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Client reviews

  • The presentation was very well received. Marnie was funny, motivational and inspirational – she was a perfect fit for our audience and a great finale for our Spring Forward series.

  • I just wanted to thank you for the after dinner talk you gave to our group in Banff last week! It was really an honor to meet you and refreshing to hear you speak from the heart about some of the challenges you faced, and overcame, in your career as an athlete. In particular, I enjoyed your illustrations about the differences between you and [your rowing partner]. One of the things I try to emphasize as a leader is that each one of us has a unique set of abilities to contribute to a team – and that we should strive to understand and value our differences – not always easy to do!

  • Marnie had so much to add to our conference! Right from the kick off dinner on the Sunday through her key note on Tuesday, it was an absolute pleasure to have her with us. Here’s what we most appreciated:

    • Clearly able to connect with anyone at any time – can genuinely build on anyone’s conversation, questions, and adds levity to any situation;
    • Many commented on how well prepared she was – heard some comments on how well her key note integrated with our conference theme (that she & one of our key training partners went out of their way to compare notes says a lot).
    • Her key note was a fantastic combination of content and delivery pizzazz!
    • When we mentioned we had a copy of her book for each employee, Marnie went above and beyond and volunteered to sign each copy – she truly lives “the power of more”. There was a real buzz in the crowd!

    Thank you again for enabling Marnie to work this engagement into her schedule. She really had an impact!

  • Marnie was excellent. She was entertaining, inspiring and wove in the importance of mentors and mentoring in a very meaningful way. We were very pleased with the event and received great feedback from attendees.

  • Marnie McBean is an amazing storyteller with the ability to take the audience on a journey and tie it all in with key lessons.

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