Dream big, achieve more.
Cam Calkoen is a dreamer, a doer, and a champion of possibility. Born with Cerebral Palsy and told that walking and talking would be his greatest challenges, Cam was determined not to let these predictions define his future. He dreamed big, taking on the world with a spirit of resilience and ambition that would shape every step of his journey.
From an early age, Cam set his sights on extraordinary goals. He became an athletic gold medalist, showcasing his ability to push beyond physical limitations and inspiring those around him to do the same. His passion for making a difference extended into philanthropy, where he proved himself a highly effective charitable fundraiser and a creative force in the social enterprise space. With every milestone, he showed that dreams fuel progress and that authenticity and attitude can overcome even the greatest odds.
Driven by a belief that life is what we make it, Cam has made it his mission to embrace every opportunity and challenge. His story is a testament to strength, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Through charisma, artistic flair and real-world experience, Cam lights up every room he enters, leaving people with a renewed sense of belief in their own potential and a clear reminder that dreaming big is not just for the lucky few – it’s for everyone willing to turn opportunity into achievement.
Talking Points
Dream big achieve more (Goal setting | Confidence | Resilience)
Often when we start a dream, we think that our most desired outcome is a successful result and while that's certainly something to celebrate it often leads us to so much more. It is through the process of attempting the seemingly impossible that the most extraordinary outcomes are achieved!Dream big achieve more (Goal setting | Confidence | Resilience)
The only constant in this world is change and we need to embrace everything we've learnt from previous challenges and understand the value and growth that comes from being outside our comfort zone. From this resilience we learn persistence and we achieve great things!
Confidence is also a huge factor to achieving goals. Everyone has a dream but some of us let our perceived reality get in the way, we stop taking risks, we stop doing what's different. Let's ignite the power that comes from confidence and a success mindset.
Workshop: My Backpack of Belief
My Backpack of Belief: Giving people the time to answer the “and what now” once they’ve been informed and inspired from an event. Through reframing Goal Setting, Resilience, Communication & Service this workshop builds culture within teams and confidence within individuals. Workshop: My Backpack of Belief
Key Takeaway Messages:
1. Dream Big, Achieve More – How to set and pursue ambitious goals with clarity and confidence.
2. Turning Rejection into Affection – Reframing setbacks as stepping stones to success.
3. Bend Perception & Eliminate Assumption – celebrating the power of your story and giving you the confidence to tell it.
4. Live for Awesome – Creating a mindset that fosters resilience, adaptability, and positive impact.
This interactive and inspiring workshop blends storytelling, reflection, and practical strategies to empower attendees to carry their own “backpack of belief” and step away from the workshop feeling more optimistic, connected and confident to take bold steps toward their goals.
Bend Perception and eliminate assumption (Diversity and Inclusion)
There is a well-known Maori Proverb which translated is says, What is the most important thing in the World? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people!Bend Perception and eliminate assumption (Diversity and Inclusion)
In having Cerebral Palsy Cam could have been a victim of exclusion on all levels but chose to look for what is common where most people look for what is different. Cam shows that difference is an important and wonderful thing once we connect on similarities, we can appreciate the value in difference, and use that value to improve our businesses and personal lives.
Live For Awesome (Excellence - Attitude - Giving back)
To exceed expectations we need to be stepping outside of our comfort zone and striving towards a personal best each and every day. Live For Awesome (Excellence - Attitude - Giving back)
By standing on the shoulders of giants the people that we look up to we can see something that we can (and should) all strive to become!
When you become a giant yourself, you get the opportunity to reflect on your own journey. Often, journeys are so future focused but it's through reflection that we gain great strengths and our success in life.
Cam's story shows that it is not about what we achieve individually, but from how we can learn from others so that we can continue to inspire and maintain excellence.
Workshop: Dream Big Achieve More - Goal Setting
We’ve been inspired to achieve something big, something new, something that will potentially take us to a whole new level of awesomeness. Maybe this inspiration has come from a talk, a book, a vision, a story…and then we step back into reality and we start seeing all the distractions, the challenges and the dream stays a dream. This workshop is an immersive experience, where Cam will take participants through the foundation of building dreams. The tool kit people will acquire will not only give them clarity on their goals but the confidence to achieve them. The workshop will be built around:Workshop: Dream Big Achieve More - Goal Setting
• What accomplishments are you most proud of?
• What is your dream?
• Who are the people who can get you close to that dream?
• What are the next steps you can take to get closer to that dream?
• How to speak the dream confidently?
Together Cam will work with the participants to create a plan to see them dreaming big and achieving more. Along with this personalised plan they will learn and practice tips, tricks and resources for growing confidence in their dream and remaining resilient in times of challenge / disruption.
Workshop: Turning rejection into affection - Resilience
The workshop is an immersive experience, where Cam will take participants through the model of going from ‘defeat' and a fixed mindset, to a growth mindset and 'awesomeness'. Adopting this mindset and learning how to identify where people TRULY sit will unlock greater levels of affection within and towards them.Workshop: Turning rejection into affection - Resilience
The workshop will be built around:
• Identifying defeat and a fixed mindset
• What really is potential and how this can HOLD US BACK
• How to identify when commitment is getting in the way
• And finally what an awesome and growth mindset looks like
At first glance none of these aspects may look like problems, and they’re not unless they start to become part of an individual’s identity. From this workshop participants will gain a new perspective on identifying where they are, this intern identifying why rejection may be occurring in areas that they don’t want it to be.
Workshop: Bend Perception and eliminate assumption
On my journey I meet a lot of people who live with the perception that they can not be a speaker, that communication is just not their thing. I have not met anyone yet who couldn't be a speaker. I have met a lot of people who do not say YES to giving it a go, or let their fears cripple them…maybe that person is you. This workshop is packed with experiences, tips, tricks and resources designed to help you say YES more confidently next time you have to speak. Whether speaking to hundreds and thousands of people, your staff, your clients, your employer or the local shop owner, being able to identify what makes us, telling our stories, and knowing how to position our story for different audiences / aspects of life enables us all to bend perception and eliminate assumptions.Workshop: Bend Perception and eliminate assumption
When was the last time you sat down and reflected on your story from the point of view of seeing it as a tool? Imagine using that to its fullest potential?
In this workshop participants will identify their stories of:
• Conflict - what makes them resilient
• Decision - why they do what they do
• Discovery - how their lives can build, inspire, empower others
• Awesomeness - Those stories that make you and have so much wisdom within them
Bending perception and eliminating assumptions comes through clarity of what makes you YOU and knowing how to tell your story. By the end of this session participants will have a framework for better communicating who they are and will be speaking with more confidence.
Video
Live for Awesome Cam Calkoen TEDxQueenstown
Celebrity Speakers exclusive Cam Calkoen offers his incredible insights into overcoming the challenges we face in life, whatever they may be. Born with cerebral palsy, Cam might have found it easy to focus on all the 'can't do's' in life. Instead, he decided to 'dream big', representing his country as a professional athlete. At TEDxQueenstown, he inspired audiences to be greater than great, and to live for awesome.Cam Calkoen interview on Good Morning
Cam Calkoen was born with Cerebral Palsy, and was told from a young age that there were many things he wouldn't be able to do. This morning he joined us this morning as part of our Inspirational Series.Cam is a role model New Zealander who proves that any obstacle can be overcome if you are willing to dream big and back yourself with hard work and determination. Cam's life story is awe ins ... keep reading Vodafone New Zealand
I had heard how motivating Cam Calkoen's presentation at the Leadership Summit for Ministry of Social Development was and was looking forward to hearing him at the Managers Workshops in Auckland and Wellington. My expectations were far exceeded. The aftermath of Cam's presentations was so positive, staff were lining up to meet him and obtain contact details for future speaking engagements.
Cam presented to over 400 of our residential salespeople at the Bayleys National Sales Conference. Cam is a truly inspirational speaker who engages his audience with his positivity, amazing smile and AWESOME personality. He is a great role model and ambassador for New Zealand, and certainly proof that any obstacle can be overcome if you dream big, are willing to work hard and have a determination to succeed. We have all been touched by Cam's story dream it, believe it, achieve it.
In the corporate environment Cam is able to use the example of his own experience to challenge people to be the best they can be in their chosen roles and to stretch themselves to achieve more. He encourages people to look ahead and to believe they can achieve more than they may think possible. A strength of Cam's presentations is the message of looking out for others and helping them to their goals. His presentations are entertaining as well as imparting a simple and strong message.
We were looking for an engaging, entertaining, stimulating and informative presentation which is geared to challenging and lifting everyone's performance and helping them achieve their goals and maximise their potential. Cam's dream BIG, because with big dreams comes a big life presentation delivered everything we asked for and heaps more. He was absolutely sensational as he told his gut-wrenching story of how he pushed through his physical limitations, set his own goals and achieved more at a young age than most able bodied people do in a whole lifetime. His raw and honest example is truly inspirational and he presented a real challenge to everyone who heard him. Cam is absolutely awesome and should be seen and heard by everyone, from the very young to the very old, as he is truly a living example of how to live each and every day to the max.
It's always a little daunting booking a speaker for your national conference, hoping they hit the spot, connect to the theme of the conference and endorse the message you want your team to take away. I needn't have worried as Cam smashed it out of the park! He was literally AWESOME! He connected his message with ours and our team were totally engaged. I always judge the engagement of a speaker by how many of the audience want to speak to the presenter after their session and Cam was swamped! The feedback from the network and several suppliers we had invited into the session was tremendous - they were all buzzing!
Cam Calkoen was an awesome and inspirational speaker. His ability to engage with the audience and encourage positivity and to create our own awesome life was motivational.
Cam was amazing, he was funny, engaging and really positive. He catered his performance to our department and what we were after for our annual conference.
Wow, what an AWESOME kōrero Cam shared with us on Friday! He wasn't kidding when he promised us an emotional roller coaster! It was everything he said it would be and more. Powerful and uplifting. I spent some time going through the evaluation forms for our employees over the weekend, and the feedback was unanimous – everyone was blown away by Cam's talk. It left a lasting impression on our people, and the conversations are still flowing at mahi today. His message really hit home. We would 100% recommend getting Cam in to speak at your next function!
Working with Cam was a great experience, both in the lead up to the event and the workshop itself. The workshop prompted some incredible takeaways and amazing conversation and engagement from our learners, which we are so grateful for
Cam's session was brilliant. Cam had great energy! Cam was inspirational. Cam has to be one of the best speakers I've had the pleasure to listen to at one of our events. He was inspirational, chattered with people before and after his presentation, just an all round great guy. Be awesome!
Cam was incredibly engaging and inspiring to host at our Team Day event! Cam brought so many laughs to our audience of approx 180 people and ended our day on such an AWESOME high!!
Cam was fantastic. Was able to incorporate parts of what he had heard throughout the day into his speech. His interaction with the group was exceptional.
Cam was awesome! He was engaging and took us on a journey that took us from laughing out loud to feeling emotional and everything in between. His content fit perfectly into our day and really set us up for success. The team were energised and talking about it for days.
Cam connected beautifully to the audience and received a standing ovation.
I would recommend Cam for any group wanting to have an engaged audience and think about open mindsets.
OUTSTANDING! Received a standing ovation. I have never seen such a response to a keynote speaker ever.
