Inspiring Speakers

I've been fortunate enough recently to hear two inspiring speakers who have both lived extraordinary lives in very different ways - Li Cunxin (wwwlicunxin.com) and John Maclean.

Li Cunxin (www.licunxin.com) is known as the author of the international bestselling book "Mao's Last Dancer" which details his childhood starving under Mao's China - 38 million people died in the three years before his birth in 1961 (yes, you read that right) - the long years training to be one of the world's best ballet dancers and his defection in America during a trip there. He married an Australian ballet dancer and is now a stockbroker in Melbourne. The movie of the book is going to be released in October. His is a story of intense love, vision, hope and complete dedication.

John Maclean won a silver medal for Australia rowing in the Beijing Paralympics. An accident left the budding sportsman a paraplegic but with his father urging him to see how far he could go and with friends supporting him he turned back to sport in a major way - being the first wheelchair athlete to compete in the Hawaiian Ironman, of all things. Seeing him struggling backwards up a hill in his wheelchair will be an enduring memory for me. Oh, and he swam the English Channel too! And went in the Sydney Hobart Yacht race - just to name a few things he's done. He persisted in getting back to what he calls the game of life. And now has a foundation to help kids in wheelchairs - www.jmf.com.au. You can find out more about him at www.johnmaclean.com.au. I love the title of his book - Sucking The Marrow Out Of Life. Do you do that?