Mike Eruzione – Gold Medal Goalie for 1980 US Olympic Hockey Upset of USSR

   Even people who have never watched a hockey game know about the “Miracle on Ice,” when a team comprised mostly of American college students defeated the powerhouse Russian team in the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. The captain and hero of that team was Mike Eruzione. Born in Massachusetts, Eruzione was one of the oldest players on the U.S. team at age 26. A former star at Boston University, Eruzione was playing minor league hockey before the Olympics. Although he was offered an NHL contract after winning the gold medal, many sports fans are surprised to learn that he never played in the NHL. Perhaps smartly, the man who scored the winning goal in the amazing upset over Russia decided to retire from hockey at his peak. Since his retirement, Mike Eruzione has worked for ABC and NBC as an Olympic commentator and has also broadcast games for the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

   Even though it’s been nearly 30 years since Lake Placid, a Mike Eruzione speaker appearance still generates tremendous drawing power. Now a coach for the Boston University hockey team and co-owner of the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, a minor league affiliate of the Calgary Flames, Mike Eruzione is also a popular motivational speaker. His words inspired Team USA to one of the most shocking upsets in the history of sports, and he can motivate your audience too.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bonnie Blair – Five-Time Olympic Gold Medal Winning Speed Skater

    One of the most accomplished speed skaters in Olympic history, Bonnie Blair is a truly legendary female athlete. Blair, who competed for the U.S in four Olympics beginning in Sarajevo in 1984, is a five-time Olympic gold medal winner - the only American woman to accomplish that feat in the winter games. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Bonnie Blair set a world record when she won the 500-meter event in 39.10 seconds and then at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, she captured gold again. Her 1.38-second margin of victory in the 1,000-meter race is most decisive in the history of the event. In March 1994, Bonnie Blair set yet another world record in the 500 meters, becoming the first female to clock the distance in less than 39 seconds (38.99). Of course Bonnie Blair also holds numerous U.S. speed records in the sport, and in 2004 she was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

   Since her retirement from speed skating, Bonnie Blair has made her living as a motivational speaker. Among her possible speaker topics is how she overcame the immense pressure of dedicating her life to becoming an Olympic athlete, and then having the results measured in a span of just seconds.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dan Jansen – Gold Medal Winning Speed Skater Overcomes Personal Tragedy

   Speed skating might not be one of the top sports in America, but almost everyone knows the incredible story of Dan Jansen. As one of the best American speed skaters ever, he was a heavy favorite to win at least one gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary. But just hours before he laced up his skates, he learned that his sister had died of leukemia. He bravely competed but fell in both the 500 and 1,000 meter races. Then in Albertville in 1992, he again failed to medal in either race. Finally, in the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, he captured a gold medal in the 1,000 meters. Dan Jansen set a new world record in that race and dedicated his medal to his late sister in a truly touching Olympic moment. Now retired from competitive skating, Dan Jansen covers speed skating for NBC Sports and also works for the Chicago Blackhawks as a skating coach.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Angela Ruggiero – Three-Time US Olympic Ice Hockey medal winner and First Woman Non-Goalie on a Men’s Professional Hockey Team

   Three-time Olympic Ice Hockey Player Angela Ruggiero grew up in Los Angeles, California and Harper Woods, Michigan. She graduated cum laude with a degree in government from Harvard University, where she was an NCAA First Team Academic All-American as well as one of the top eight student athletes in the entire NCAA in 2004. A star player on the U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey Team, Angela won a Gold medal in 1998, a Silver medal in 2002 and a Bronze medal at the 2006 Olympics. She was the first woman non-goalie to play professional men's hockey in North America, playing for the Tulsa Oilers alongside her brother, Bill, and also earning a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame as the first brother-sister duo to play pro hockey together.

   Angela helped the U.S. capture gold by scoring the tournament-winning goal at the 2005 World Championships, was voted the USA's Women's Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004, and was ranked the #1 female hockey player in the world by "The Hockey News" in 2003. In addition to her extraordinary athletic accomplishments, Angela is the founder and president of a girl's hockey school; the author of "Breaking the Ice," her inspirational autobiography; and the director of the New York Islanders' Project Hope- an organization that provides young Chinese athletes with access to educational opportunities.

   When Angela appeared on season six of NBC's hit show, The Apprentice, Angela impressed the real estate mogul. Though she did not become the official "Apprentice," Donald Trump did offer Angela a job. Tempted to take a highly coveted position, Angela politely declined the position, for now, and returned to her passion and dream of making her fourth Olympic team. For now, obtaining a master's degree and training for the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 are on top of her mind.

   One of the most prominent women's hockey players in the world, Angela is currently playing on the US Women's National Hockey Team, Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) Minnesota Whitecaps, as well as training for the 2010 Olympics. While residing at the Blaine Residency Program for Team USA, Angela is pursuing her Master's degree in Sports Management. She was recently named the All-Time Leader in Games Played for Team USA.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

   Vonetta Flowers is First Person of African descent from any Country - to Win a GOLD medal in the Winter Olympics!

   In both 1996 and 2000, Vonetta qualified for the Olympic Trials, held in Atlanta, Georgia and Sacramento, California, respectively. At the 1996 trials, she competed in the 100 meter dash and the long jump but was unsuccessful in her quest to earn a spot on the team. Vonetta spent the next four years focusing all of her energy on training for an opportunity to compete at the 2000 Olympics in the long jump. She hoped to have an outstanding performance at the 2000 Olympic Trials, but just a few months before the trials began,
Vonetta found herself lying on a hospital bed getting ready for her fifth surgery in eight years. Against all odds, she believed in herself and decided to lace up her spikes one last time, but it wasn't meant to be. After a disappointing performance at the 2000 trials, Vonetta felt it was time to retire from Track and Field, with hopes of starting a family.

   Two days after the 2000 Olympic Trials, Vonetta's husband, Johnny, spotted a flyer urging Track and Field athletes to tryout for the U.S. bobsled team. The only thing Vonetta and Johnny knew about bobsledding was what they learned from the movie, "Cool Runnings." Johnny had also been an outstanding Track and Field athlete, even so, their chances seemed so slim that the idea of them making the team became more and more amusing. Regardless, Vonetta really was not interested. She was still dealing with the reality that she would not live out her lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics. After several hours of joking back and forth, however, she agreed to accompany Johnny as he tried out for the team. Shortly after the competition started, Johnny pulled his hamstring, and Vonetta agreed to live out his dream by completing the six-item test. That unselfish act would quickly change their lives.

   Less than 2 months after stepping in for Johnny, Vonetta was competing for the U.S. in bobsled, traveling to foreign countries and eating foods the names of which she couldn't even pronounce. Vonetta's Track and Field background was an advantage in bobsled, and she quickly became the #1 brake woman in the U.S. By the end of her rookie season, Vonetta and her former teammate, Bonnie Warner were ranked second in the U.S. and third in the world. 

   A year later, Vonetta and new partner Jill Bakken slid into history by winning the Gold medal at the inaugural Women's Olympic bobsled event, which was the first medal for a U.S. bobsled team in 46 years!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  Dr. Eric Heiden - Five-Time Olympic Gold Winner and Orthopedic Surgeon. In Top 50 of ESPN's Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century

   Olympic gold medalist, Eric Heiden, was born on June 14, 1958 in Madison, Wisconsin. Heiden is a former long track speed skater who won all the men's speed skating races, including an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York.

   Eric Heiden is an icon in the speedskating community and, in particular, in Europe where the sport is highly regarded. His victories are significant as few speed skaters (and athletes in general) have won competitions in both sprint and long-distance events. He is considered by some to be the best overall speedskater (short and long distances) in the sport's history. Heiden ranked #46 in ESPN's SportsCentury 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century in 1999, the only speed skater to make the list.

   During his short speed skating career, Heiden won 3 World Allround Championships and 4 World Sprint Championships.

   Three times, Heiden broke the world record in the 1,000 metres, twice in the 3,000 metres, and once each in the 1,500 metres and 10,000 metres. He also broke the points world record in both allround and the sprinting distances.

   Eric Heiden finished his speed skating career by finishing second behind Hilbert van der Duim at the 1980 World Allround Championships in Heerenveen. Heiden stood at the top place of the Adelskalender for an impressive time period of 1,495 days, and won the Oscar Mathisen Award four times in a row from 1977 until 1980. As of 2006, he still is the only skater who has won the award four times. He received the 1980 James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. In 1983, he was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

   After his speed-skating career, Heiden became a professional racing cyclist. He was one of the first cross-over athletes, becoming a founding member of the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. Together with his former speed skating coach (and ex-bike racer), Jim Ochowicz, he conceived of the idea of a European-style sponsored team for North American riders. Heiden won a few American professional races and took part in the 1986 Tour de France, although he did not complete the race as he fell five days from the finish.

   Eric Heiden is believed to hold the unofficial record on one of the local benchmark climbs in Woodside, California: Old la Honda Rd. In 1985, Heiden won the first US Professional Cycling Championship and thus became the American road race champion. In 1999, Heiden was inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.

   After starting his undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Eric Heiden earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford University in 1984 and earned his M.D., also from Stanford, in 1991. He began practicing as an orthopedic surgeon in Sacramento, California. At that time, he also served as team physician for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA. In 2002 and 2006, he was team physician for the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Team. He opened a sports medicine-based practice at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH) in Murray, Utah and has recently expanded Heiden Orthopaedics with an additional office in Park City, Utah. He is currently training the US speed skating team for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

   Eric has followed in the footsteps of his father, Jack Heiden, a longtime orthopedic surgeon in Madison, Wisconsin.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ruben Gonzalez – Late Blooming Olympian in Luge: Makes Olympics in 2010 - Fourth Time at age 47!

 1) Becoming Unstoppable - Motivational Keynote:

   Ruben is proof that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things if they follow a few simple steps. Ruben is funny, direct and on target. He’s on a mission to inspire and equip people to think differently, to take immediate action, and to produce better results.

   Through his riveting stories and keen insights Ruben brings the Olympics to life. Ruben’s story of his quest for the Olympics gives people hope and strength. His story moves people to commitment and action. After experiencing Ruben’s program, your people will know exactly what it takes to succeed in life. They will be inspired and equipped to take whatever they do to the next level.

   Your people will learn the steps that will turn their dreams to achievable goals. Ruben illustrates each step with stories from his Olympic experiences and shows your people how to apply the steps to their specific situation.

   Your attendees will leave the program with a new, ironclad commitment to their goals — and life. Most importantly, they will walk out with the exact knowledge they need to construct their own bold, daring, and imaginative vision of accomplishment. They will stop making excuses, and start getting better results! Ruben covers the following principles in his keynote:

Self Belief - You will never attempt to accomplish more in life until you believe that something inside of you is bigger than your circumstances. The way to increase your self-belief is through the people you associate with and the books you read.

Courage - Courage separates the winners from the losers. Every success you've had up to now or will ever have is the product of your courage to act and your courage to endure. Action is the proof of your courage. How Olympians are taught to increase their courage.

Challenges - Consistently facing your challenges will make you great. Goliath is the best thing that ever happened to David! If you want to marry the princess, you have to slay the dragon!

Perseverance - As long as you don't quit, you've still got a chance. If you absolutely refuse to quit, you have a 95% chance of reaching your goals. That knowledge gives you the power to be bold in the pursuit of your dreams.

Goal Setting - Your dream defines your success. The world will step aside for the person who knows where they are going. Your goals help you realize your dream. How Olympians are taught to set and achieve goals. When you boldly commit to achieving your goal, the universe conspires to help make it a reality.

Seeing Yourself Succeed - How to program yourself to become a "guided-missile" that cannot miss its objective.

Self Talk - What you say to yourself influences what you think. What you think determines what you do. What you do consistently becomes your habits. Your habits determine your results. If you are not happy with your results, changing your actions will not help because you'll ALWAYS revert to your old habits. You need to change your self-talk in order to replace your ineffective habits. The best part is that you will learn and laugh out loud at the same time!

   "Becoming Unstoppable" will teach your people how to reach deep, and access their inner power to achieve great things. Everyone has this power, Ruben teaches them how to draw on it.

About Ruben Gonzalez:

   Ruben has made the Winter Olympics again (2010)!

   Ruben was a second stringer in his college soccer team. But something happened in 1984 that changed Ruben's life. At the age of 21, Ruben saw Scott Hamilton win the Olympic Gold Medal at the Sarajevo Olympics and he was inspired to find a sport and begin training for the Olympics. 

   In 1984 Ruben started training for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. His sport - The Luge. Hurling down an icy track at over 80 MPH. Most Olympic luge athletes began luging at age 12. The challenges he had to overcome make Ruben's story powerful. Ruben has been called "the Rudy of the Olympics". 

   Many crashes and many broken bones later, Ruben's dream became a reality when he qualified to compete in the Calgary Olympics. He went on to compete in the Albertville Olympics and in the Salt Lake City Olympics (at the age of 39). He has just made the team again at age 47 for 2010.

   As a Four-Time Olympian and a national luge champion, peak-performance expert Ruben Gonzalez knows how to achieve success again and again. Ruben’s appeared nationally on ABC, CBS, and NBC. Ruben’s been featured in Time Magazine, as well as publications in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, and Argentina. His articles on peak-performance are read on every continent. As someone who worked in corporate sales to sustain himself while training, Ruben has a practical understanding of the businessperson’s challenges.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nikki Stone – 1984 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Winner (Inverted Aerial Skiing), Author of When Turtles Fly

Speeches:

 1) When Turtles Fly, Find Your Turtle Effect - Motivational Speech:

   She encourages and inspires her audiences to find their Turtle Effect by realizing their passions, triumphing over obstacles and take life-enhancing risks, like she did, to reach extraordinary goals that may initially seem unattainable. Nikki takes her audiences through a roller coaster of emotions where they are in tears one moment, rolls of laughter the next, and ready to stand up and cheer the very next. Nikki applies universal principals common to all Olympic champions and successful businessmen and women. All her speeches are customized to incorporate any personal themes, messages and issues that companies are looking to communicate to their employees. They can address:

When Turtles Fly: Finding Your Turtle Effect
Sticking your neck out to reach your goals

Only Some Want to Fly
Striving for Excellence by Spreading your Wings to Reach Success

Knocking Down Those Walls
Turning your Obstacles into Hurdles

You Can’t Get to the Top Alone
Using Teamwork to Achieve your Goals

We Only Live Once: Make it Count
Taking the Risk to Be Your Best

About Nikki Stone:

   At the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, Nikki Stone became America’s first-ever Olympic Champion in the sport of inverted aerial skiing. What made this performance so unbelievable was the fact that less than two years earlier, a chronic injury prevented Nikki from standing, much less walking or skiing off a 12-foot wall of snow that launches aerialists 5 stories into the air.  

   Ten different doctors told Nikki that due to the unrecoverable damage to 2 spinal discs, she would have to face the likelihood that she might never strap on a pair of skis again.  Nikki fought back against insurmountable odds to reach the sport’s highest acclaim atop the Olympic podium.  Nikki’s tenacity and refusal to step down from a challenge also helped her earn 35 World Cup podiums, eleven World Cup titles, four national titles and two Overall World Grand Prix titles.

   In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Nikki is also a Magna Cum Laude undergraduate of Union College in New York and a Summa Cum Laude Master’s graduate of the University of Utah in the field of Sports Psychology.  With her incredible academic record and her remarkable presentation skills, Nikki was asked to work as a Visiting Professor at the University of Utah.  Nikki now travels around the world working as a sought-after inspirational speaker, ski host, and sports psychology consultant sharing her secrets to success by encouraging and motivating her clients to "Spread their wings."

   You may have seen Nikki through her numerous television appearances on such shows as Late Night with David Letterman, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN Early Addition, MSNBC Morning Line, ESPN’s Cold Pizza, FOX News Sports Express, CNN Business As Unusual, and FOX Sports News live.

   The United States Olympic Committee has contracted Nikki to train elite athletes and Olympians in speaking, presentation, and mentoring skills. Nikki will run several interactive programs that help prepare athletes for speaking engagements at schools and corporations and development skills for Olympic and World Championships.

   Nikki is very excited about the upcoming release of her new, empowering book, When Turtles Fly: Secrets of Successful People Who Know How to Stick Their Necks Out, which will include inspirational stories from successful people from all different arenas (politicians, actors/actresses, business executives, musicians, authors, athletes, Nobel Prize winners, etc).  After each story, Nikki will give readers different activities that they can perform to help reinforce the behavior needed for success in their own business and lifestyle. 

Testimonials:

“You truly were the highlight of our sales recognition trip… You captured the hearts of every single person in that room and I’m confident that you made each a stronger person… The feedback from my team was all ‘top box’. You’re dedication, commitment, and enthusiasm is unparalleled and you can definitely count on us calling on your services again in the future. Thanks for enriching our lives.” Russ Garner, Fidelity Investments

“ I loved hearing from you. I am a serious Olympics fan, so the theme caught my attention immediately. I really get caught up in the emotion and competition that comes from the games. I was very impressed by your speech and the way that you brought American Express and our Blue Box values into your talking points.” Valerie Iorg, American Express

“Nikki was an absolute pro. She related her personal experience to everyday challenges – how they hinder success and how they can be overcome. Not only did she motivate the audience, she also put things in perspective for them”. Mike Treske, Sr. Vice President National Sales, John Hancock

“Your moving story of dedication, commitment, and the will to triumph over adversity was extremely inspirational… Your willingness to share your Olympic gold medal with the group and get your picture taken with everyone was also most appreciated. We couldn’t have asked for a more professional, motivational, or friendly Olympian to work with and we were proud to have you as part of the Delta team.” Kelly Sartin, Manager – Olympic Marketing, Delta Airlines