Speaker Bio
Success in one field doesn’t necessarily translate to another area. In the case of former Canadian Women’s hockey player, Cheryl Pounder, who has made the transition from ice to stage, the move has been a triumph.
In the sports world where accomplishments are measured by medals and titles, there aren’t many who can claim a list of achievements as glowing as Cheryl’s.
Her run of success began early in the 1990s when her ice hockey team won the Under-18 Canadian National championship. In 1994, she won Gold for the first time at the 1994 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship, and during her illustrious career with the National Women’s team, Cheryl won two Olympic Gold medals (2002 and 2006) and was crowned IIHF World Champion six times.
The shining on-ice achievements aside, it’s been Cheryl’s varied experiences on international stages that have made her an in-demand speaker, with keynote clients such as Tim Hortons, Maple Leaf Foods, CIBC, TD Bank, Manulife, Women In Leadership Groups, Girl Guides of Canada, Western-Ivey-Executive MBA and the City of Toronto, to name a few. She believes that her approach, one that is interactive, passionate and positive, has a lot to do with her ability to cross over to diverse audiences.
“When I speak to people, I want them to connect with material that they can identify with, that stimulates a thought process,” she says.
For Cheryl, everything is rooted in self-confidence, something that was instilled in her as a child. ”My family had a huge impact on my personal goals as an athlete. My grandfather was the GM of the Montreal Junior Canadiens and my grandmother was a prominent softball player in the 1940’s. Along with my parents, they taught me to ‘believe’, ‘finish something you start’, and persevere through adversity.” Adversity can be a learning experience and according to Cheryl, “It is important that we learn not only from our successes but also from our failures. Change is the key to ultimately staying on the path toward excellence.”
It is all part of a journey that we must be willing to take – a journey that must be inspired to take for ourselves and those we work with… our TEAM. To this point, she adds, “When the team goal is met, the individual goals take care of themselves. Seize the opportunities, get outside your comfort zone, trust yourself, and engage in your life, don’t just participate. Most importantly, listen to your strong side, even when your weak side is louder.”
The journey continues for Cheryl – her varied background and knowledge were major factors for TSN & CBC choosing her as a colour commentator for the coverage of the women’s hockey tournament at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics. In her sporting life and in her life off the ice, Cheryl continues to motivate with a passion that comes across in all her worlds.
A native of Mississauga, Cheryl, was born on June 21, 1976 in Montreal, Quebec. She attended high school at St. Martin Secondary School in Mississauga, and was the captain of the ice hockey team at Wilfrid Laurier University. She graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology and physical education and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Speaker Topics
How does one grow and get gold, no matter their situation?
Cheryl’s enlightening keynote is interactive, engaging and entertaining.
She discusses the importance of building a vision while focusing on participation vs engagement and the importance of seizing every opportunity.
Cheryl also focuses on the character dimensions of leadership, the importance of collaboration and how one individual can affect and impact the culture and mission of a group. By sharing information, understanding the importance of inclusivity and recognizing value, we build culture and efficiency. Growing for Gold involves trusting the process, tough conversations and clarity of the common goal.
Thinking differently is essential to excellence.
How do you take what cards life has dealt you and turn them into a win?
Cheryl discusses adversity as it applied to her journey and how being ‘abnormal’ and taking chances helped her succeed in a world where many believed she couldn’t.
Finding strength in vulnerability and having the courage to embrace change, leads to incredible opportunities. Cheryl takes you on a journey, discussing how she developed resiliency and how she has overcome her personal fear of failure in order to break barriers and prove to herself and others that she has what it takes to win.
Can you recognize the signs of mental illness?
Are you doing what you need to do to take care of your own mental wellness?
Cheryl talks about the pressures of leadership, being in the public eye and the importance of taking care of your own mental wellness in order to reach your goals and lead a fulfilling life.
She also talks about the importance of encouraging your team and those around you to put mental wellness on their list of personal goals.
The importance of finding your voice, rising up and collaborating
As a professional hockey player and sports broadcaster, Cheryl Pounder will share her journey as a female in a male-dominated community. She discusses the courage needed to find your voice and how to find the strength to ‘stand on top of your story’. She will reinforce the importance of joining the conversation and how women can rise up to any challenge in any circumstance. She encourages the audience to talk about their own personal barriers while recognizing their role within a community. Cheryl also talks about the need for collaboration as women in leadership and how teamwork really does make the dream work.
Cheryl brings her high energy and effervescent personality to each and every event, large or small. With her warmth and friendliness, Cheryl immediately makes guests feel like they have a new friend. For fundraising events, Cheryl encourages giving and supports the cause with personal stories. With galas and award presentations, Cheryl is professional, yet down to earth. There’s never a dull moment with Cheryl. With her experience as a sports commentator, radio host and keynote speaker, Cheryl keeps the energy moving while focusing on the goal of the event she’s at.
Testimonials
Cheryl has the inspirational voice quality we were looking for. She has an amazing talent that allowed her to capture both the dramatic and comedic aspects of the awards night. However, what really impressed me about Cheryl, was how deeply she immersed herself in the professionalism of knowing the audience in the complex world of Hockey. “Articulate, engaging and funny, she connects with audiences by discussing her own experiences as an athlete, friend and mother.” Whenever she speaks, she conveys in a clear and compelling way why she is–and always will be–a champion.
In a day and age where presentations seem all too plentiful it has become more challenging to find unique and intimate experiences that truly can inspire the pursuit of a dream, a tear and a laugh, and help us each understand what it means to represent something even bigger than we each are and the path to get there. I have had the privilege of seeing Cheryl present to different audiences, from young kids to accomplished professionals, and her level of inspiration and audience engagement is that special touch that is otherwise a missing ingredient for so many. Cheryl represents not only an elite level of accomplished athleticism and winning but at her core message, a heart-felt reminder to us all on the importance of the pursuit and belief in a dream, a vision and to battle through obstacles to achieve it. The medals were earned and her character and integrity of message is natural. Each presentation has ended in a standing ovation with tears throughout. Cheryl is a unique story of someone that achieved excellence built from a dream as a child; had that world taken away from her and had to find a way to battle back to that level of success through nothing short of a commitment to work hard and sacrifice. Cheryl’s message, and perhaps even more so, she individually, will inspire your heart and your own visions.
As we started our new fiscal year, we were looking for some motivational messaging to ignite the passion in our leadership team which consists of over 20 people leaders. Having seen Cheryl at a few RBC events, I asked her to attend. Wow, what a first class, inspiring message…everything from preparation, to overcoming obstacles, to staying focussed…Cheryl and Becky delivered ‘tag team’ style, in an entertaining, professional, energized format. The team was rivetted and you could hear a pin drop as their attention was held throughout. The focus was on what coaches can say, and what players hear that resonates to motivate a team.and how a team comes together to attain world class performance. It is an outstanding investment of time for any leadership team to hear.
Cheryl was amazing! She connected with the guests, had her photo taken, let guests hold her medals, and her presentation was perfect. She integrated her story with our work and at the end, she had a standing ovation. Cheryl is a lovely person and an outstanding presenter. Her love for presenting and her passion for her story and her caring for others comes through loud and clear.
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