Adam van Koeverden

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Finding the Champion Within You

Summary Profile

Adam van Koeverden proudly carried the Canadian flag during the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics as the popular choice for our country’s official flag bearer in Beijing. He went on to medal at these Olympics, proving to be a triple threat with three career Olympic medals – Gold, Silver and Bronze – and solidifying himself as one of the best kayakers in the world.

Representing your country on the world stage is often accompanied by intense pressure to succeed. This was clearly evident in Beijing when van Koeverden finished eighth out of nine boats in the men’s K-1 1,000-metre final, an event he was expected to dominate. As the media surrounded him afterwards, a devastated van Koeverden offered a heartfelt apology. "I’m sorry," he said to the CBC cameras and his fellow Canadians back home.

Redemption wasn’t too far away for van Koeverden, though. He set a new personal best time while qualifying for the K-1 500-metre event and then captured Silver in an exciting photo-finish final. Seconds felt like hours following the close race before it was determined that van Koeverden edged the third-place finisher by only 4/100ths of a second.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, van Koeverden won Gold and Bronze. He became the only Canadian to double medal at those Games, and was chosen Canada's flag bearer for the closing ceremonies.

In his own words: "The Olympics are really tough; they've got to be. Olympic medals are not Boy Scout badges or participation ribbons – they're Olympic medals. I cherish mine with pride and distinction as a representation that I work really hard, believe in myself, and love and respect my sport above all else."

Adam van Koeverden understands how his experiences relate to audiences in the corporate world, noting the "multitude of parallels between business and sport to discuss." He is an example of someone who has struggled to find his strength and passion at times, but able to overcome adversity and prevail. Listen to his story and learn how you and your peers can find the champion that’s inside all of us.

Client Testimonials:

"As one of the millions of Canadians who watched Adam compete at the Olympics, having had the opportunity to hear his story first-hand, instilled in me a real sense of pride and nationalism. Adam shares his incredible experiences with his good humour and enthusiasm to motivate, inspire and inform audiences of all kinds."

Michelle Comeau

"The event with Adam went fantastic… he did a great job!  He was very flexible and easy to work with."

Canadian Cancer Society