Now that the 2018 Winter Olympics are over, some athletes will trade in celebratory stands on an Olympic podium for a spot on yet another podium as inspirational speakers for meetings and conventions.
“There will be a lot of movement for Olympic speakers once they return,” said Susan Lauterbach of RedPropeller Speakers Bureau. “The speaking world moves fast.”
Can these athletes, many of whom have focused on their sport for most of their lives, transition to motivating others to seek their personal-goal gold?
“Historically it was important for a speaker to deliver a speech,” explained Brain Palmer, president and owner of National Speakers. “But it’s now okay for a celebrity or significant figure, such as an Olympic athlete, to come and say just a few words and/or answer questions in either a formal or informal Q&A.”
Here are some 2018 Winter Olympian stars from Team USA that can speak at events.
Chloe Kim
Chloe Kim became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding medal when she won gold for the women’s snowboarding halfpipe in the 2018 Winter Olympics at age 17. Last season, Kim won gold medals at the Copper Grand Prix, LAAX Open and Burton US Open, bronze at the X Games and her first World Cup Crystal Globe.
Kim’s professional snowboarding career began when she was just 13 in the 2013-14 season when she won bronze at the Dew Tour and silver at X Games and the Burton US Open.
Off the mountain, Kim has been featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2017, TIME’s 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016 and 2017, and espnW’s 2015 IMPACT25 list. www.caaspeakers.com/chloe-kim/
Lindsey Vonn
Alpine skier great Lindsey Vonn is coming home from the 2018 Winter Olympics with another medal—a bronze in women's downhill. She was the first American woman to win gold in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics and has won 81 World Cup races in her career thus far, an all-time women's record.
In 2015, Vonn created the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, a not-for-profit aimed at helping young girls grow their self-esteem and build a positive self-image through experiences and opportunities such as athletics. www.wmespeakers.com/speaker/lindsey-vonn
Shaun White
Professional snowboarder Shaun White is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. He holds the record for the most X Games gold medals and most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder, and has won 10 ESPY Awards.
White holds the record for the highest score in the men's halfpipe at the Winter Olympics and his gold medal at the 2018 games was 100th for the U.S. at the Winter Olympic Games.
White plays guitar in the band Bad Things, which released its self-titled debut album in 2014. www.sportsspeakers360.com/speaker/shaun-white.php
Mikaela Shiffrin
Mikaela Shiffrin was the youngest skier ever to claim the national alpine crown at the 2011 U.S. National Championship in the slalom and went on to win gold at the 2013 World Championships in the slalom. Shiffrin also became the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history when she won gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics at the age of 18.
At the 2018 Winter Olympic games she won gold in giant slalom and silver in super combined. Shiffrin has been named one of ESPNW’s Impact 25. www.athletespeakers.com/speaker/mikaela-shiffrin/
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