NSB Logo Colin Angus Colin Angus

Colin Angus

Speaker

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Adventurer & Co-Founder of Open Ocean Robotics

Colin Angus is the first person to circle the world exclusively by human power. A leading adventurer, filmmaker, bestselling author, and named by Outside magazine as one of the “World’s Top 25 Bold Visionaries,” Colin shares his strategies for achieving the seemingly impossible, increasing efficiency, maintaining motivation, and risk management, while delighting audiences with his thrilling stories of life off the beaten path.

Performance & Productivity Sports & Adventurers Motivation & Inspiration

In the News

Global News | Victoria rower to compete in endurance race from Washington to Alaska April 6, 2015
Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show - LiVE 88.5 Interview with Colin Angus January 1, 1970

Keynote Speeches

Colin is available to deliver the following presentations individually or as a duo alongside his wife Julie:
Rowboat In A Hurricane: Dealing with Change and Unexpected Setbacks

Imagine surviving a hurricane with nothing more than a rowboat to shelter you. When Julie and Colin set off on a quest to become the first to row across the Atlantic from mainland Europe to mainland North America this was not what they anticipated. But soon they realized that to succeed they’d not only need to deal with adversity and uncertainly, but embrace it and use it as an opportunity to grow and prosper. Julie and Colin share techniques to deal with changing environments including altering our perception, preparing for the unexpected, assessing risks, and improving communication.

 

Office in a Rowboat: Taking Teamwork to the Extreme

Julie and Colin deliver an engaging and entertaining account of the two years they spent circumnavigating the globe by human power, focusing on strategies they used to foster teamwork. It doesn’t get more stressful than living, eating, and working within the confines of a rowboat for months on end and this dynamic duo will share their strategies for fostering harmonious and productive dynamics. They dissect the essential components of effective teamwork including conflict resolution, motivation and communication.

Rowing Across the Atlantic: Strategies to Reach Your Goals
Rowing across the Atlantic Ocean seemed impossible at times, yet through goal setting, managing risk, perseverance and dealing with the unexpected, including two hurricanes, Julie and Colin crossed 10,000 km of open ocean. By juxtaposing the difficulties they faced to the challenges in our business and personal lives, Colin and Julie offer an insightful and entertaining perspective on how to overcome our fears, learn more about ourselves, and set goals that help us reach our ambitions.

Rowing Across the Atlantic: Strategies to Reach Your Goals

Rowing across the Atlantic Ocean seemed impossible at times, yet through goal setting, managing risk, perseverance and dealing with the unexpected, including two hurricanes, Julie and Colin crossed 10,000 km of open ocean. By juxtaposing the difficulties they faced to the challenges in our business and personal lives, Colin and Julie offer an insightful and entertaining perspective on how to overcome our fears, learn more about ourselves, and set goals that help us reach our ambitions.

Audience reviews:

  • Colin Angus was perfect for this crowd. He did a great job linking the local aspects he and I talked about on the phone with his adventures...There was a lot of buzz after his presentation. He received a standing ovation! Colin was very accommodating to everyone who talked with him. My Board of Directors were totally impressed, very grateful and felt extremely lucky! It was uplifting for everyone.

    - Executive Director, Brant Waterways Foundation
  • Everyone loved your presentation, you are inspiring, courageous, amazing individuals.

    - Capital Regional District
  • Thank you for being with us and for delivering your presentation with such enthusiasm, humour, sincerity and spirit.

    - President & CEO, Canada West Ski Areas Association
  • Colin Angus was perfect for this crowd. He did a great job linking the local aspects he and I talked about on the phone with his adventures. ..There was a lot of buzz after his presentation. He received a standing ovation! Colin was very accommodating to everyone who talked with him. My Board of Directors were totally impressed, very grateful and felt extremely lucky! It was uplifting for everyone.

    - Executive Director, Brant Waterways Foundation
  • You nailed it. Our board was thrilled and many people have contacted me directly to express their appreciation.

    - President, Brant Waterways Foundation

Speaker Books

Amazon Extreme by Colin Angus
Lost In Mongolia: Rafting the World's Last Unchallenged...
Beyond the Horizon: The Great Race to Finish...
Rowed Trip by Colin Angus and Julie Angus

Speaker Biography

Angus has had a life full of transformative experiences. He spent five years sailing the Pacific Ocean, exploring countries including French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea; he and two friends rafted down the Amazon River, braving treacherous white-water rapids and even gunfire from guerilla fighters; he survived being lost in the Mongolian wilderness with no tools for survival while seeking to navigate the Yenisey River; and, in perhaps his greatest accomplishment, he walked, biked, skied, paddled, and rowed more than 43,000 kilometers, crossing three continents and two oceans to complete the first human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth. Other feats include the fastest human-powered circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in a rowboat; rowing 7,000 kilometers from Scotland to Syria; and, most recently, a National Geographic Expedition searching for the origins of the olive tree.

His time on the water inspired Colin to co-found Angus Rowboats, a company that pushes the boundaries of performance recreational craft.  Designing around the parameters of modest human propulsion means that attention has to be paid to every detail to maximize performance, while not compromising seaworthiness.  This understanding of small boats, developed through trial and error and rigorous testing, is what is required to develop reliable high-performance autonomous craft.  Energy-harvesting boats must perform well and reliably with very little energy input, which is Colin’s specialty.

Angus is the author of five books, and his writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Explore, enRoute, and Reader’s Digest, among others. He has also co-produced four documentaries, which went on to collectively win more than ten awards at international film festivals

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