Lauren Burns created sporting history by winning the first Olympic gold medal for Taekwondo when the sport debuted at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Dr Lauren Burns was one of only three Australian women to win an individual Olympic Gold Medal, along with Cathy Freeman and Susie O’Neill. Her amazing triumph at the Sydney Games was achieved against the odds – requiring enormous discipline, commitment, perseverance, and teamwork.
The nation watched as Lauren’s victory brought the Australian public and Olympic crowd to its feet. Before her Olympic win, few people knew Lauren was 12 times Australian Champion and had achieved a string of international titles, including numerous medals at world championship level. Lauren’s gold medal put Australia on the map as a significant global competitor for the sport of Taekwondo.
Since the Sydney Olympics, Lauren has emerged as one of Australia’s most sought-after speakers. She has been on the speaking circuit for over 25 years and continues to travel the country conducting keynote presentations, workshops, and masterclasses, all centred around Elevating Potential. Lauren’s presentations are powerful and engaging. Her genuine passion for inspiring and empowering participants shines through with her down-to-earth storytelling and evidence-based tips for achieving optimal well-being and high-performance living. Her ability to captivate audiences with relatable anecdotes and practical strategies is what sets her apart.
Lauren has a PhD in Athlete Lifestyle and Mindset and works closely with the Australian Institute of Sport, both with the Gold Medal Ready program and their research institute. Her doctoral work won the prestigious RMIT Vice Chancellor’s Prize and Deputy Vice Chancellor’s Prize for Research Impact and is published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.
A best-selling author, Lauren has penned two books: Fighting Spirit and Food from a Loving Home. Lauren also shares her nutritional expertise by designing whole-food menu plans for a renowned Melbourne childcare centre. Additionally, she offers exclusive one-on-one executive-level coaching while balancing the joys and responsibilities of a busy family life.
Talking Points
Motivational Workshop With Olympic Gold Medallist, Lauren Burns
An excellent way to kick off or finish a conference with the high energy and sense of achievement of all participants breaking boards.Motivational Workshop With Olympic Gold Medallist, Lauren Burns
Lauren shares inspirational stories and experiences relating them to the audience she conveys key messages relating to self-belief, passion, determination vs natural talent, self-talk and strategy and studying your opponents.
Workshop includes:
Simple, but high energy taekwondo moves
Focus on fun, teamwork, practical skills and key messages
All participants breaking boards
Signing of participants' boards as take home memento
Active Taekwondo Workshop
- Fun and interactive taekwondo workshopActive Taekwondo Workshop
- All participants break boards
- Links to personal purpose
High Performance Living - Be your best self Workshop
- Performance, Mindset, Relationships, LifestyleHigh Performance Living - Be your best self Workshop
- Strategies to structure, balance and energise
- Grow and stretch, leaning in to discomfort
- Improve personal relationships for wellbeing, stress and performance
Performance and Wellness Package
STRATEGIC INDIVIDUALISED SESSIONSPerformance and Wellness Package
A personal approach to create optimal vitality and flourishing.
STAGE 1: THE FIRST STEP
- Health and wellness review
- Clarifying your goals and objectives
- Establishing a plan
- Nourishment strategy
STAGE 2: DISCOVERY
- Self-connection
- Alignment with your core values
- Discover areas of your life that are draining you
- Solidifying habits and self-care strategies to support YOU
STAGE 3: PLANNING AND GOAL SETTING
- Creation of your road map
- Big picture analysis
- Specific, detailed planning for your future
- Setting boundaries
STAGE 4: FLOURISHING
- Mindset skills
- Learn effective time management strategies
- Food preparation and nutritional strategies to support your vitality
- Strategic planning inclusive of all aspects of your life
What can be imagined can be achieved
- Transforming stories into practical life strategiesWhat can be imagined can be achieved
- Audience participation with fun taekwondo moves and an audience member breaking boards
Master of Ceremonies
Having spent many years delivering engaging, entertaining and memorable keynote talks in Australia and around the world, Lauren has also developed as a wonderful conference and event MC and host. Master of Ceremonies
Her warm and relaxed style ensures any audience will enjoy their event experience. Lauren also brings many years of her own event experience to the stage as she professionally delivers as an MC.
She will take the time to understand your event beforehand and ensure she is adaptable on the day to deal with any last minute changes. Being an Olympic Gold medallist as well, she can add in her own personal stories as needed to fit with your program.
Having Lauren as part of your team will ensure your audience will never forget your event.
Elevating Potential
In this tailored keynote, audiences will learn about:Elevating Potential
- Transforming Lauren’s Olympic and life experiences into practical life strategies
- Lauren’s ‘Cycle of Lifestyle’ and how this impacts performance, mindset, relationships, and overall well-being
- Practical strategies to bring structure, balance and energy
- The importance of interpersonal relationships for well-being, stress management, and peak performance.
- PLUS Audience participation through taekwondo moves, concluding with one person breaking a board on stage.
LEAP – Lifestyles of Elite Athletic Performers
- Learn from the world's best athletes and gain insights from Lauren's PhD researchLEAP – Lifestyles of Elite Athletic Performers
- Discover the lifestyle and mindset factors that contribute to the success of Olympic and World Champion-winning athletes
- Explore psychological attributes such as intrinsic motivation, resilience, realistic optimism, self-regulation, and a thirst for knowledge that define elite performers
- Elevate potential by adopting the mindset and habits of successful athletes into daily life
Values and planning – the key to understanding individuals behaviour, decisions and attitudes
- The benefits of understanding your personal values are well recognised. Personal values are deeply held beliefs and principles that guide individuals’ behaviour, decisions, and attitudes.Values and planning – the key to understanding individuals behaviour, decisions and attitudes
- Lauren guides participants through the process of identifying their own personal values, what they need to add to their life to support their values, and what they need to change to reflect these values
- Using your values-based decision-making has positive impacts on:
* Health & Well-being
* Decision-Making & Goal Setting
* Work Satisfaction & Engagement
- Effective planning is key to both well-being and high performance. Lauren empowers participants with strategies for short, medium and long-term planning – where they leave equipped with knowledge and recourses to continue incorporating planning into their life.
Workshop: Activate Taekwondo Workshop
Make your event memorable – all participants break boards! An excellent way to kick off or wrap up a conference – with high energy and a sense of achievement and purpose. Workshop: Activate Taekwondo Workshop
Lauren conveys key messages relating to self-belief, and mental imagery, and incorporates the ancient practices of the martial art taekwondo, to cultivate the indomitable spirit.
The boards are a metaphor for Action, Commitment and Breakthrough.
Workshop includes:
- Simple, high-energy taekwondo moves
- Focus on fun, teamwork, practical skills and key messages
- All participants breaking boards
- Signing of participants’ boards as take-home memento
Workshop: Mood Food Workshop - How food impacts our energy, mood & mental health
Lauren is a degree qualified Naturopath and Nutritionist and has always been passionate about complementary medicine and wholefoods. Workshop: Mood Food Workshop - How food impacts our energy, mood & mental health
She studied naturopathy alongside training for the Olympic Games and incorporated many principles and naturopathic teachings into her training and diet regime which she attributes to her success at the Games. Her cookbook Food from a Loving Home is a collection of her favourite recipes.
Continuing her passion for food as medicine, Lauren has lectured Medicinal Food Science at Endeavour College Focusing on the scientific link between food and mood, and Lauren’s take-home message of ‘Eat the Rainbow’, this presentation is fun and engaging. Participants learn life skills and knowledge they can incorporate directly into their own lives and kitchens.
Video
Lauren Burn | Speaker Showreel
Discover the inspiring journey of Lauren Burns, an Olympic gold medalist from Melbourne, in this powerful speaker showreel. Lauren shares her belief that every situation in life is neutral and that our response shapes its meaning. As a 26-year-old gold medalist, Lauren emphasizes that natural talent isn't the cornerstone of success. Instead, passion, excitement, and the willingness to embrace mistakes are far more important. In this motivational video, Lauren explains how facing challenges is a guarantee in life, but our response determines our growth. She advocates for the power of positive self-talk using "I am" statements, such as "I am strong" and "I am powerful," to nourish and fuel our potential. Lauren's insights into learning from successful individuals highlight the importance of asking questions and seeking guidance. Join Lauren Burns as she delves into the secrets of success and empowerment. Whether you're striving for personal growth, overcoming obstacles, or seeking motivation, Lauren’s message will resonate with you. Watch now to be inspired and discover how what can be imagined can truly be achieved.An absolute breath of fresh air. Lauren was engaging, funny and inspirational. Great stories and a great Australian. ... keep reading Committee for Portland
We were looking for a speaker who could inspire, unite and help us bring our individual & team goals to life. Lauren did all of this & more! She was warm, engaging, funny and targeted her session delivery and included practical strategies to help us achieve our goals.
Lauren was a great speaker and got the crown moving and sharing her journey, which was fantastic. A very professional, inspiring lady - he was a joy to work with. People really wanted to talk to her at the end and ask questions which was great, and think everyone enjoyed touching that little bit of 'gold'! Lauren was terrific and we would definitely use her a great motivational speaker again.
Lauren was absolutely FANTASTIC! Everyone in the room hung off her every word. The stories she told and the messages around leadership, discipline and focus (just to name a few) she conveyed to the audience had an impact on everyone and linked in beautifully with our themes for the day. As well as telling a fascinating story of her life so far, Lauren was extremely entertaining and kept the audience riveted the entire time. Not only was Lauren a sensational speaker but she was a fantastic person.
Excellent. Lauren kept the delegates captivated A great example of hard work and perseverance bringing success
Lauren spoke in a way that captivated and involved everyone, forcing us to admire and respect her commitment to all aspects of her life. I would love to involve Lauren in other Ernst and Young events and believe she would do just as an exceptional job in hosting or speaking at any event for us
Excellent. More than a draw card. Lauren is interesting, natural and relaxed as a presenter and has some great stories regarding pushing oneself and overcoming obstacles
A strong speaker with an ability to convince in respect of the sincerity of her message
I would sincerely like to thank you for speaking with the participants on our Leadership program. Everyone I spoke to was very impressed and found your presentation highly entertaining, motivating and informative. Your presentation was still being talked about this morning and was the highlight of this important day for the group
I would like to thank you for the fantastic presentation you gave last week at our conference and for the extra time you gave to talking to our group one on one and answering their questions. It certainly was the highlight of the conference and everyone was talking about it (still are!) and it really made a positive impact on the group. The impact you made on Sue has been amazing and it was a life-changing event for her. She is so proud of her achievement (breaking the board) and the fact that you believed in her has given her so much more confidence. It is clear that you have an exciting future ahead that will go way beyond your Olympic success (not a bad start though!) by applying that determination and attitude of success. That is why we all got so much out of your presentation and your 'success leaves clues' has made me look at things in a totally new light.
Excellent. Lauren is young, fresh, unassuming and communicated brilliantly to a mixed audience
Excellent, Lauren's energy was intoxicating. Our guests were mesmerised
Lauren was absolutely sensational
From the feedback sheets collected, and the general vibe' after your presentation, it was clear that you touched the heart and souls of many in your audience. Especially touching, I felt, were the comments from the young people there, expressing their desire to be all they can be - clearly you connected with them very strongly! Your enthusiastic, sincere and humble style are rare in the speaking world, and were an absolute joy to witness. Personally, I shall always remember your dedication and willingness to do whatever it took' to keep your commitment to our Chapter that evening
Lauren, the address you presented on your amazing journey to reach the Sydney Games was truly inspirational and thought provoking and I know that there is a queue to read your autobiography. Your motto what can be imagined can be achieved. You must dare to dream but there is no substitute for hard work, perseverance and teamwork as no one gets there alone certainly impacted on the group and your interaction with the group through the demonstration and breaking of the boards energised us for the day ahead. Once again, that you for making our tour one that will be remembered for a long time.
On behalf of the board of directors and the members of the association, I would like to express our gratitude for your participation in our annual conference. Your presentation was without doubt one of the most dynamic and energetic we have seen and the feedback received from all the dinner attendees was very enthusiastic. We believe the overall success of the event was due in no small part to your professionalism and obvious passion. We are especially mindful of the short notice we provided to you and are grateful to you that you were able to take the time out of your busy schedule to help us
Just a quick note to thank you for the excellent talk you gave at our conference last week and for helping with the awards presentation. I have had great feedback from the team on your talk which they found interesting, humorous and inspiring. It certainly made us step back and consider the part we can all play in driving forward the Company's goals. I know the teams were thrilled to have you attend the Awards dinner and it was a pleasure to talk to you during the course of the evening
Our conference 'Reach for the Sky' was a great success and largely due to your presentation which matched perfectly with our team's focus and themes for the rest of the year. It was truly motivating and inspirational! We had another two days of conference and many of the guys were consistently referring to yours and Martin's presentation and particularly the focus, control and follow through themes. Your energy and enthusiasm made a big difference to the rest of the conference
Your inspirational message to our guests was first class and really sealed for us a great night of recognition, for the top achievers in our Dealer network. I know that our people will benefit from your experience and can only hope that some of them can "dare to dream", and achieve just as you have done.
Excellent. Lauren has an outstanding story to tell and is generous with her medal, autographs, photographs etc. I strongly recommend her
10 out 10.Lauren was an absolute pleasure to work with she took the time to understand our event, communicate with our team beforehand and on the night was able to read the vibe in the room exceptionally well. Throughout the evening Lauren was able to seamlessly navigate any changes to schedule or tweak the script as she went. Through personal anecdotes Lauren engaged with our guests and was able to inject her own personality and warmth into the evening. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Lauren for your next event.
Thank you so much for coming to our event. I've heard so much positive feedback from people who attended they loved how engaging you are as a speaker and how positive and uplifting your message was!
Lauren inspired and entertained the audience with her simple but powerful messages on how to succeed through sacrifice and determination.
Congratulations on the inspiring address and presentation you made at our national sales conference last month. I have over many years attended guest speaker events and I can honestly say, very few have held the audience attention for 40 minutes as yours did. What I found pleasing, was the way in which you aligned your success in sport to the goals our Company is striving to achieve. The message you delivered during your talk supported and reinforced what our management team had spoken about during the conference. Thank you again and congratulations on the way in which you told your story. Thanks to you, we now have a motivated and focused sales team.
Lauren was absolutely fantastic, the clients loved listening to her anecdotes. They especially liked the hands on aspect of learn a couple of Taekwondo moves and getting to break the wood board. It really helped to break up the presentations and was able to lighten the mood after some really intensive sessions.
