You cannot control every circumstance. But you can control the decision you make next.
Hugo Toovey is an Australian Army Major, founder of 25 STAY ALIVE, and a keynote speaker recognised with the 2025 Australian Mental Health Prize (Lived Experience). Still in his early thirties, Hugo has lived through serious illness twice, repeated major surgeries, and ongoing uncertainty.
What shaped Hugo most was learning how to keep going when the finish line keeps moving. He could not control the circumstances, but he could control his next decision, his standards, and the conversations he was willing to have.
On stage, Hugo blends humour, honesty and a calm, direct style to deliver practical tools for resilience under pressure. His message lands across corporate, government and frontline audiences because it is human, actionable, and free of jargon.
Hugo doesn’t just tell a powerful story, he shifts what people think and what they do next. He helps audiences drop the guardrails around hard topics, find common ground quickly, and reconnect to what matters when pressure is high. People leave with practical tools for resilience, better conversations, and a clear prompt to act early, not later.
Talking Points
Resilience Under Pressure, How to Keep Going When the Hard Part Doesn’t End
Resilience is not a heroic moment, it is what you practise when pressure becomes normal. Hugo shares the mindset shifts and daily behaviours that help people stay steady through uncertainty, change fatigue, and sustained stress. This Keynote is designed for whole-of-organisation audiences who want practical strategies, and the motivation to act on them. It is uplifting, practical, and highly relatable.Resilience Under Pressure, How to Keep Going When the Hard Part Doesn’t End
Key Takeaways
• How to stabilise when you cannot fix the situation yet
• Simple habits that protect energy, focus and perspective
• A practical reset process for tough weeks and high workloads
• How to stay optimistic without pretending everything is fine
Resilient Leadership Under Pressure, How Leaders Set the Tone When It Matters Most
In high-pressure periods, teams watch leaders for cues, not speeches. This Keynote shows how resilient leaders create calm, clarity and momentum when information is incomplete, emotions are high, and outcomes matter. Drawing on Hugo Toovey’s experience as an Australian Army Major and founder of 25 STAY ALIVE, Hugo outlines practical leadership behaviours that hold teams steady through uncertainty, setbacks and change fatigue. Audiences leave with a clear model for how to lead themselves first, communicate decisively, and keep standards high without burning people out.Resilient Leadership Under Pressure, How Leaders Set the Tone When It Matters Most
Key Takeaways
• The three leadership signals teams look for under pressure, clarity, steadiness, and consistency
• How to make and communicate decisions when there are no guarantees
• Practical ways to lift standards without creating fear or fatigue
• How to stay human and accountable, even in hard conversations
• Daily leadership habits that build resilience across a team, not just in individuals
Decisions Under Uncertainty, Staying Clear When There Are No Guarantees
When information is incomplete and stakes are high, people either freeze or rush. Hugo shares a simple decision approach that helps audiences move with clarity, reduce rumination, and take the next right step. This keynote works well for teams facing change, ambiguity, customer pressure, or complex projects. It is resilience in action, not theory.Decisions Under Uncertainty, Staying Clear When There Are No Guarantees
Key Takeaways
• A simple decision tool for uncertain, high-pressure moments
• How to reduce overthinking and increase clarity
• Language that helps people communicate decisions cleanly
• How to rebuild confidence after difficult calls
From Setback to Momentum, Turning Adversity into Forward Movement
Setbacks can shrink your world or sharpen it. Hugo shows audiences how to convert adversity into clarity, priorities and progress, without toxic positivity. This is a strong mainstage keynote for organisations navigating disruption, restructure, rapid growth, or recovery. The focus is forward movement, done sustainably.From Setback to Momentum, Turning Adversity into Forward Movement
Key Takeaways
• Turning pressure into priorities, and priorities into action
• What to do when motivation drops but expectations stay high
• Reframing that supports performance and wellbeing
• How to regain momentum after a setback
25 STAY ALIVE, Men’s Health and Mental Fitness, Early Action That Changes Outcomes
Designed for internal events, wellbeing programs and key calendar moments, this keynote shifts behaviour without lecturing. Hugo speaks with honesty and humour about mental fitness, men’s health, and starting conversations early, before a problem becomes a crisis. The message is inclusive for mixed workforces, with clear tailoring for men’s health initiatives when needed. Audiences leave with practical next steps and the confidence to act.25 STAY ALIVE, Men’s Health and Mental Fitness, Early Action That Changes Outcomes
Key Takeaways
• Early warning signs and what to do next
• Simple ways to start the conversation, without getting it wrong
• Practical habits that improve mental fitness and help-seeking
• How workplaces can support early action through everyday behaviours
Video
Major Hugo Toovey | Founder of 25 STAY ALIVE, a Two-Time Cancer Survivor & Mental Health Advocate
In this powerful keynote, Major Hugo Toovey, founder of 25 STAY ALIVE, shares his deeply personal journey as a two-time cancer survivor and mental health advocate. Hugo opens up about the critical importance of mental health, particularly for men, and how prioritising mental well-being is just as vital as physical health. Through his story, Hugo sheds light on the often overlooked struggles men face when it comes to addressing mental health and offers practical insights on how to seek help and build resilience. Whether you're looking to book a Speaker for a corporate event, conference, or men's health seminar, Hugo’s authentic and inspiring message will resonate with audiences from all walks of life. Want to learn more about Hugo Toovey and how he can inspire your audience? Visit his Saxton Speakers page for more information and booking details:Major Hugo Toovey | The Power of a Village | Saxton Speakers
Major Hugo Toovey is no stranger to adversity. As a cancer survivor and mental health advocate, he knows firsthand the impact of life’s toughest challenges—not just on individuals, but on their families, friends, and communities. In his powerful talks, Hugo shares why having a strong support network—your ‘village’—is essential in overcoming hardship. With raw honesty, he reflects on his personal journey, the weight of battling illness, and the crucial role his support system played in helping him push forward. His message is clear: we all need people who lift us up in our darkest moments. Through engaging storytelling and interactive exercises, Hugo inspires audiences to reflect on their own support networks and the importance of resilience.Cancer Survivor Hugo Toovey | Saxton Speakers
Cancer survivor and Australian Army Captain Hugo Toovey shares his powerful journey through testicular cancer with a unique mix of humour and authenticity. Starting with a light-hearted story about receiving a prosthetic testicle, Hugo explores the life-altering experiences that followed - from his chemotherapy treatments to his battles with vulnerability, fear, and resilience. His candid approach has not only created conversations among friends but has also encouraged young men to get checked, potentially saving lives.Hugo Toovey | The Imperfects | The Reality of Surviving Cancer. Twice.
Hugo Toovey has beaten cancer, twice. But this is far from the whole story. In this special bonus episode, Hugo joins Hugh, Ryan and Josh to talk about health; how to know when to go to a doctor, how to wrangle with the emotions of being cancer free and how to be vulnerable with the people who love you most. Extraordinarily open in the hope that it will help someone else, Hugo discusses his fertility and decision to have kids, how being a parent has effected his outlook on life, and how exhausting it was acting like everything was okay. Hugo, you’re a lifesaver.Dyl & Friends | #67 Hugo Toovey
Hugo Toovey is a two-time cancer survivor with an incredible story. At 19 years of age, Hugo’s life drastically changed when he was first diagnosed with testicular cancer. He shares his incredible journey with us in beating the disease over a 5 year period as well as what he’s learnt along the way. However, unfortunately his story doesn’t finish there. Two months after being cleared free from this insidious disease, he was then diagnosed with bowel cancer which he has bravely battled through but still has lasting effects on his everyday life today. Now living cancer free, he shares his story to encourage early prevention, keeping on top of our physical and mental health and most importantly being proactive in checking in with the GP. Hugo teaches us not to put these uncomfortable check-ups off and I know I’ll be taking this more seriously. I learnt a lot from this great man about not taking life for granted, being positive in any situation and identifying what’s important in life. This is obviously a pretty heavy topic and this chat isn’t designed to scare people. It’s just to show that we need to be more proactive with our health in general. There are some sensitive topics we touch on regarding mental health so if there are any triggers for you please know there is support and there will be plenty of links in access below.MOVEMBER | In conversation with Dr Izzy Smith & Hugo Toovey
Audio
Hugo Toovey was incredibly inspiring – from his sense of humour to his highly relatable and heartfelt messages, our audience was captivated throughout. Hugo’s personal commitment to helping ... keep reading Nestle
Hugo was the ultimate professional. His communication was clear, concise and timely and his presentation informative, heart-felt and genuine. Highly highly recommend.
Hugo shared a very personal, powerful and inspiring story that provided the team a strong sense of hope, comfort and purpose. He strikes deep empathy in making sure people learn from his experiences, and I have no doubt he will leave a legacy of awareness, care and optimism amongst our team.
Hugo was the highlight of the conference. He has such a powerful story.
Hugo shared one of the most inspirational and engaging stories I’ve ever heard.
Highly engaging and simply outstanding.
Hugo is an excellent speaker who highly engaged with the audience on a personal level, the feedback i have received has been exceptional.
We had a great response to Hugo’s presentation, his authentic presence, and the relatable, relevant, and applicable message that he conveyed. We carried out conversation circles after the presentation, and many participants quoted inspirational sound bites that had struck a chord with them.
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