Josh Sundquist

Josh Sundquist

• Paralympic athletic who represented the USA in the 2006 Turino Paralympics
• Comedian with his own weekly one-man show and philanthropist who does fundraising for children’s hospitals
• Bestselling author whose second memoir is being made into a movie
• Social media influencer who represents the US in international soccer competitions as a member of the U.S. Amputee Soccer Team

Josh Sundquist is a motivational speaker who blends humor and storytelling, inspiring audiences across the globe. He is also a regular keynote speaker at sales and business conferences.

Besides his speaking engagements, Josh Sundquist is also a comedian. He is the star of his own one-man show most Friday nights in Los Angeles.

But Josh Sundquist, as a child, had his fill of adversity. Diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at the tender age of nine, he underwent a year of chemotherapy and had his left leg amputated. Three years after being declared cured, he took of ski racing.

His hard work paid off, with him joining the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team for the 2006 Turino, Italy Paralympics. These days he represents the U.S. in international competitions as a member of the U.S. Amputee Soccer Team.

A bestselling author, his first memoir ‘Just Don’t Fall’ was a National Bestseller. It has been translated into German. His second memoir, ‘We Should Hang Out Sometime’, is set to become a movie.

On the internet, however, Josh Sundquist is acclaimed for his viral videos, especially those of his much-celebrated Halloween costumes. His social media following is over a million, with his videos being viewed over 100 million times. His media success has seen him named to the Social Media Power List. A social media influencer, Josh Sundquist has worked with large brands, including the likes of Dairy Queen, Chevy, and AT&T, amongst numerous others.

A Celebrity Ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Josh Sundquist regularly makes appearances to raise money for children’s hospitals across the USA.

Josh Sundquist – Speaker

As a speaker, Josh Sundquist studies your organisation’s culture and customizes his talks to suit the event’s theme, ensuring that his topic stays relevant.

Speaking Topics

• 1MT1MT: When Josh was training for the Paralympics, his motto was 1MT1MT (one more thing, one more time). What’s the 1MT1MT you could do today to get closer to the future you are training for? What’s that little bit of extra effort you could make to better serve your customers?
• CHANGE IS OUR CHANCE TO GROW: Josh had to give up his childhood dream of playing for the local travel soccer team. But as a result, he discovered something even better: the dream of a Paralympic uniform. When we accept change—in our lives, our workplace, and our industry—we create the space necessary for new growth.
• YOU ONLY STRIKE OUT WHEN YOU QUIT: Josh went up to bat in a softball game a month after his amputation. He got three strikes in a row. But his friends let him keep swinging. It took thirteen to get a hit. That game was a lot like life. In most endeavors, you only strike out when you quit. How many strikes are you willing to take?
• SELL SOLUTIONS, NOT PRODUCTS: An airline employee offered Josh a seat with “extra leg room” because he has one leg. Which is funny since he gets extra leg room…automatically. She wanted to help, but she made the most common mistake in customer service: offering a solution before understanding the problem. Don’t tell your customers what you want to sell before learning what they want to buy
• IT’S NOT HOW FAST YOU SKI, IT’S HOW FAST YOU GET BACK UP: In his first ski race, Josh fell. Five times. In sports, in life, in business, the principle is the same—you will fall. The question is, how fast can you get back up? How quickly can you learn from a mistake and then recover by implementing that new knowledge?
• WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES: We all have problems. We all have things we wish we could change but can’t. And we certainly all have stress. But sometimes within those situations, we can find a bit of humor, and that can make the challenges a little easier to endure.
• LEADERSHIP IS PUTTING YOURSELF IN THEIR BOOT: Josh’s first ski instructor had two legs, but he took off a ski and balanced on one leg to give Josh an example to follow. Whether you are a business leader, a community leader, or a student leader, that’s an illustration of how to be effective: put yourself in their boot. And leave a trail they can follow.
• COLLABORATION DOUBLES OUR RESOURCES: For years, Josh accumulated a box of unused left shoes. Then he met his solemate, Stephen, an amputee missing the opposite leg. Now Josh and Stephen exchange shoes and each have twice as many as before. Likewise, when we collaborate with co-workers and with other divisions, we all end up with more.