SPEAKER INFORMATION PACKAGE

SPEAKER INFORMATION PACKAGE
“Your presentation was truly inspiring.” Deepak Chopra
“Bold Visionaries with World Changing Dreams” Outside Magazine
Thank you for your interest in having Colin Angus and Julie Angus speak, either individually or
as a team.
Do you want to create an event that will inspire people to achieve more, work more effectively as
a team and generate a buzz that will stay long after your conference is over? The techniques Julie
and Colin use to complete their world first expeditions including circling the world by human
power and rowing across the Atlantic Ocean are the same strategies that propel corporations and
organizations to become leaders in their fields. Julie and Colin are engaging and entertaining
speakers, and most importantly, they share their unique strategies for achieving seemingly impossible
goals.
Julie and Colin were jointly given National Geographic’s 2007 Adventurer of the Year award.
Colin holds records for completing the first human-powered circumnavigation of Earth, the first
descent of the world's fifth longest river, the Yenisey, the fastest human-powered
circumnavigation of Vancouver Island and many others. Julie is the first woman to row across
the Atlantic Ocean from mainland to mainland and has organized and led challenging expeditions
around the world. They are bestselling authors of six books and co-producers of four award
winning documentaries. Colin and Julie are regularly seen on television shows such as The
Hour, Canada AM, CBC Sunday News and Daily Planet. Their expeditions have been featured
on the front pages of both Canada’s national newspapers, and in hundreds of print publications
including Reader’s Digest, Men’s Journal, Outside magazine, BC Business, the Guardian and
Chatelaine.
They have offered keynotes to hundreds of groups with clients including Shell, Thompson
Reuters, Rolls Royce, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Glenfiddich, Helly Hansen, Freestone Capital
Management, Imax Corporation, National Geographic, Canadian Mortgage and Housing
Corporation, BC Lung Cancer Association, RCMP, Alberta Recreation and Parks Association,
Annual Cardiovascular Conference, Entrepreneur’s Organization, Institute of Financial Planners,
Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering, RBC Wealth Management, Calgary Zoo,
Canada West Ski Areas Association, District of Maple Ridge, Capital Regional District,
Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering, IdeaCity, Associate Veterinary Clinics,
Alberta Health Authority, Wallace & Carey Inc. and Mountain Equipment Co-op.
Angus Speakers Office: 250-890-9446Fax: 250-703-1352[email protected]www.angusspeakers.com
TESTIMONIALS
"The stories were riveting, and I think everybody left feeling they could incorporate new lessons to their
own lifestyles."
- Patricia Brandino, Imax Corporation
“Colin and Julie were a HUGE hit! Everyone came out thoroughly amazed and impressed.”
- Rebecca Wilcox, Freestone Capital Management
“Your keynote presentation was amazing!”
- Jean Kay, Conference Chair, CanWrite
“He was fantastic. Our client was super happy.”
- Haymatick Event Planners for BC Lung Cancer Association
“I was so moved it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
- Michelle Burchill, Helly Hansen
“Everyone loved your presentation, you are inspiring, courageous, amazing individuals.”
- Jennifer Elliott, Capital Regional District
“Thank you for being with us and for delivering your presentation with such enthusiasm, humour, sincerity
and spirit.”
- Jimmie Spencer, President & CEO, Canada West Ski Areas Association
“We all fell in love with your ordinary/extraordinary spirit, your down-to-earth nature and your calm but
humorous delivery.”
- Kerri Carlson, President, Every Woman
“..she was also able to apply the lessons learned on her journey to the specific challenges we face in our
industry.”
- Derek Gratz, CEO, Westlink Innovation
“Earlier this week I got an email from a colleague saying how your presentation had stayed with her and
how she was applying it in her busy administrative role. I’ve organized enough conferences to know how
rare this type of comment is well after the time.“
- Mary Anne Yurkiw, Conference Chair, Alberta Health Services
Angus Speakers Office: 250-890-9446Fax: 250-703-1352[email protected]www.angusspeakers.com
PROFILE - COLIN ANGUS
Colin Angus is an adventurer, bestselling author and Canadian filmmaker. He is the first person to
circumnavigate the globe by human power, a 43,000 kilometre journey across three continents and two
oceans by foot, bicycle, ski and rowboat. He has rowed and paddled thousands of kilometres in
waterways around the world, including completing the first source-to-sea descent of the world’s fifth
longest river, the Yenisey, the third to navigate the length of the Amazon and the fastest to paddle 1100
km around Vancouver Island.
Colin has authored four books and his work is published in numerous publications including the The
Globe and Mail, Reader’s Digest and Cruising World. He is the co-producer of four documentaries, two
for National Geographic which won numerous awards including Best Adventure Film at the Telluride
Mountain Film Festival and Best Adventure Film at Taos Mountain Film Festival. Outside magazine
listed Colin as one of the top 25 “bold visionaries with world changing dreams” for his work in promoting
lifestyle changes to help the environment, and National Geographic awarded him the Adventurer of the
Year Award.
Colin started taking on epic challenges at a young age. As a teenager he purchased a 27 ft sailboat with
paper route earnings. He intended to sail across the ocean, but with no experience, mentors and limited
funds it was necessary to break this challenge into a series of manageable steps. Perseverance and
dedication paid off and soon Colin cast off from the familiar coast of British Columbia and spent five
years sailing the Pacific Ocean and exploring countries including French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and
Papua New Guinea. This was a stepping stone for much greater quests to follow, each honing skills
required to transform seemingly impossible challenges into reality.
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Colin was born in Victoria in 1971.
During his human-powered circumnavigation of the planet he endured the extreme arctic
temperatures of Siberia, cycled and hiked through Russia and across Europe, and survived two
hurricanes while completing the first row from mainland Europe to North America.
On his Amazon expedition he crossed the world’s most arid desert while trekking to the source,
scaled 18000 foot mountains, rafted V+ whitewater and even survived gunfire from Shining Path
guerilla fighters in the jungle
While voyaging the Yenisey River, Colin was separated from the group and survived for 12 days
in the Mongolian wilderness with only his pants and a pocket knife.
Colin lives with his wife, Julie, on Vancouver Island.
Intrepid adventurer, author and Canadian filmmaker. The first person to complete a human-powered circumnavigation of the earth
Angus Speakers Office: 250-890-9446Fax: 250-703-1352[email protected]www.angusspeakers.com
PROFILE - JULIE ANGUS
Julie is the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean from mainland to mainland. During the worst
hurricane season in history, she spent 5 months rowing unsupported across 10,000 km of unforgiving seas,
reaching shore in 2006. National Geographic honored her with the Adventurer of the Year and
accomplishment. Throughout this incredible challenge, she and her fiancé, rowed through 4 cyclones,
encountered great white sharks, fished for survival, and swam with animals that accompanied them. Other
expeditions Julie completed include rowing 7000 km from the northern tip of Scotland to Syria, leading a
National Geographic research voyage in the Mediterranean, and cycling 13,000 km through14 countries.
Julie’s background is what makes her unique as an adventurer. Protective parents dissuaded her from
sports and outdoor activities as a child, and as a result her focus was confined to scholastics. It wasn’t
until Julie was introduced to the dynamic corporate environment of Canada’s largest bio-tec company that
she began to realize her parameters were merely self-imposed. She was the last kid chosen on the baseball
team not because she couldn’t play ball, but because she believed she couldn’t. Julie decided to change a
lifelong trajectory by taking on one of the most grueling physical conquests she could imagine: rowing
across the Atlantic Ocean. Her goal to become the first woman to row across the Atlantic from mainland
to mainland was as much about rebooting her own perspective on human capability as achieving a
monumental record.
Julie is a molecular biologist, adventurer, writer, and filmmaker. She has two undergraduate degrees with
honours from McMaster University (Biology and Psychology) and a graduate degree in Molecular
Biology from the University of Victoria and spent over a decade studying and developing treatments for
heart disease, cancer and genetic ailments. Julie has written for many publications including National
Post, Globe and Mail, and EnRoute magazine. Her photography has appeared in the The Guardian,
Outside Magazine, Readers Digest, Explore, and BC Business, among others. She has written three books,
Rowboat in a Hurricane, Rowed Trip, and Olive Odyssey.
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Julie was born in Toronto in 1974.
She has worked as a researcher, teacher, venture capitalist and business analyst.
She lived in Germany, England and numerous Canadian towns and cities. She has also studied at
the University of Leeds in England.
Julie now lives on Vancouver Island with her husband, Colin Angus.
Explorer, best-selling author, scientist, and first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean from mainland to mainland.
Angus Speakers Office: 250-890-9446Fax: 250-703-1352[email protected]www.angusspeakers.com
PRESENTATION TOPICS
Extreme Teamwork
It doesn’t get more stressful than having your team living, eating, and working within the confines of a
rowboat for five months. That’s exactly what Julie and Colin went through while crossing the Atlantic
Ocean. It is essential to create harmonious and productive dynamics to ensure steady progress.
Success for Julie and Colin relied on much more than just their own efforts. Behind the scenes a
dedicated team of sponsors, ground crew and friends helped move the team forward. Colin and Julie share
the essential components of effective teamwork including topics such as conflict resolution, motivation
and communication. When your life depends on tight teamwork, you need to get it right the first time.
Presentation Themes: Conflict Resolution, Team Building, Project Management, Leadership
Achieve More with Less
Rowing across an ocean or girdling the globe by muscle power alone are tasks of incomprehensible
proportions. The physical efforts required are only part of the equation, with logistics, research,
fundraising, promotion and a countless other aspects being a part of success.
The only way to achieve such monumental challenges is through the art of efficiency. Redundant and
unnecessary tasks need to be identified, and the most efficient methods utilized every step of the way.
Human habit patterns, while often beneficial, can blinker us from seeing where changes need to be made.
The continual search for efficiency and paths of least resistance needs to become a habit in itself.
Presentation Themes: Goal Setting, Inspiration, Motivation, Leadership
Rowboat in a Hurricane: Dealing with Change and Unexpected Setbacks
Colin and/or Julie recreate the experience of surviving a hurricane from the confines of a rowboat –
highlighting strategies we can all use to deal with adversity and transition. Change and negative setbacks
can be an opportunity to alter course and flourish. They show us how to modify our perception so that we
use uncertainty and transition as a tool to grow and prosper. Using captivating stories, Julie and/or Colin
help us anticipate and prepare for change, assess risks, and improve our communication during difficult
times.
Presentation Themes: Coping with Change, Adaptability, Communication, Risk assessment, Motivation,
Goal Setting
Angus Speakers Office: 250-890-9446Fax: 250-703-1352[email protected]www.angusspeakers.com