Topics
Sports/Athletics
Inspirational
Leadership
Motivation
Olympic Heroes
Presentations
Hot Lessons from Cool Runnings - Coaching for Sales and Personal Success
This
dynamic presentation is as light hearted as it is poignant. The
audience will leave laughing, inspired and with a better understanding
of what it takes to achieve the impossible.
Out of Many; One: An Olympic Athlete's View of Diversity in the Workplace
Devon
delivers a compelling message to groups of all sizes about how to be
more bottom-line successful by embracing and applying the innate
strengths of a diversity philosophy.
Keep On Pushing™: An Olympic Athlete's Message of Persistence
With
humour and compassion and real-life how-to guidance, Devon inspires the
audience to 'keep on pushing' - his distinctive phrase when asked how
he gets that bobsled down that run.
The Power and Magic of Teamwork
An
incredible program for leadership and management training seminars,
attendees will translate the challenges and triumphs of the first
Jamaican Bobsled Team into easily applicable lessons for today's
managers and tomorrow's leaders.
Half-Day Seminar - Get In, Sit Down™
Through
open discussions and team building exercises, participants will be
entertained, educated and motivated. They will emerge with a renewed
sense of purpose and thorough understanding of the techniques which they
can draw upon in their work environment. They will be equipped with the
essential tools necessary for them to truly function as an Olympic
caliber team.
Summary Profile
From the slums of Kingston, Jamaica to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, England; from a barefoot boy's dreams of winning a track race to a young man's membership on his country's first Olympic bobsled team, this is the compelling story of Devon Harris.
Audiences will be moved by Devon's inspiring tale of personal triumph over adversity. While at the same time they will find the story behind Jamaica's first bobsled team both humorous and uplifting.
Devon is no stranger to adversity. He was born in poverty and raised in a violent ghetto environment. While most of his peers dropped out of school at an early age, despite ridicule and hardship, Devon remained in school, excelled in track & field events, and graduated with honors. With much persistence, Devon received an appointment to the Officer Corp of the Jamaica Defence Force and was selected to attend the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, in England.
At the suggestion of his commanding officer, Devon tried out for and was selected to join Jamaica's first Olympic Bobsled Team. Since then he has participated in three Winter Olympic Games, including the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada about which Walt Disney based the popular movie, Cool Runnings.
When not in training for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Devon tours the country as a motivational speaker - often visiting schools and youth groups offering a message of inspiration and hope. His personal philosophy, like that of the Jamaican Bobsled Team, is that he will not permit others to define the limits of his success.
*Walt Disney based the popular movie Cool Runnings on the story of the 1988 Bobsled Team
Biographical Notes
- Born Christmas Day, 1964
- Raised in Kingston, Jamaica
- Enlisted in the Jamaica Defence Force, Officer Corps.
- Graduated from the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, England
- Member of Jamaica's first Olympic Bobsled Team - competed in:
1988 Winter Olympics - Calgary, Canada*
1992 Winter Olympics - Albertville, France
1998 Winter Olympics - Nagano, Japan
- Currently resides in New York City, NY
