Create an experience with Jessica Gallagher

Professional motivational speaker- Osteopath- Director Vision 2020 Australia - Ambassador Vision Australia

See Jess speak here!

Growing up in Geelong Jess was diagnosed with a rare eye disease, cone dystrophy when in Year 12 at high school causing her to lose much of her eyesight. She is now classified as legally blind.

Following in her Mum's footsteps, Jess grew up playing Netball and Basketball, having represented Victoria on several occasions and being named as an emergency for the Australian U16 netball team. She also represented Geelong and Victoria Country in underage basketball.

At the age of 21 Jess randomly discovered Paralympic sport and was talent identified for Athletics.  She was first selected to represent Australia at the 2008 Beijing Summer Paralympics but was deemed ineligible to compete due to the sight in one eye being 0.01% too sighted to be eligible. Prior to Beijing she had also been asked to try alpine skiing and so when she returned to Australia after the heart break of Beijing she transitioned to alpine skiing.

At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympics Jess (finally!) made her debut for Australia and assisted by her guide, Eric Bickerton they became the first Australian female to win a medal at a Winter Paralympic Games, finishing 3rd in the Women's Slalom, this achievement also happened to coincide with her birthday- what a present!

She returned to athletics upon her return from Vancouver and in 2011, just 8 months after the winter Paralympics Jess became the first Australian to medal at both a Winter and Summer event at international level when she won the silver medal in the long jump and the bronze medal in the javelin at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.

In 2012, Jess qualified to participate at the London Summer Paralympics, but tore her meniscus 6 weeks out from competition. Despite being severely hampered by her injury in both training and competition, Jess participated in both long jump and javelin, finishing 5th and 6th in her events.

She again switched back to alpine skiing and at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics Jess won another bronze medal, this time in the Giant Slalom with guide Christian Geiger.

In pursuit of her long term goal- becoming Australia's first athlete to medal at a summer AND winter Paralympics and due to Long Jump being removed from the Rio Paralympics Jess transitioned to track cycling. In March 2016 she made her debut for Australia as a cyclist becoming World Champion and claiming a new World Record in the process in the women’s tandem sprint alongside her pilot Maddie Janseen. They also won bronze in the 1 kilometre Time Trial.

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics Jess created stunning sporting history becoming the first Australian athlete- Olympic or Paralympic to medal at both a summer and winter games when she won bronze in the 1km Time Trial.

After Rio Jess made the tricky decision to forgo pursuing her 3^rd winter Paralympics for the opportunity to compete at a major championship on home soil. In 2018 she made her debut for Australia at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast placing 2^nd in both the tandem match sprint and 1km time trial, again with pilot Maddie Janssen. They also finished 2^nd in these same events at the 2018 World Championships held in Rio.

Outside of her sporting activities, Jess is a highly sought after motivational speaker, practising Osteopath, Board Director and global ambassador for Vision 2020 Australia and ambassador for Vision Australia/ Seeing Eye Dogs Australia.

Jess is based in Melbourne, Australia.

Jess’s Guest Speaking Keynote Topics and Corporate Workshops:

Trust and change

Hurtling down a mountain at over 100km/hour with someone else acting as your sight there is no greater skill required than trust. It’s a critical element to Jessica’s success as a summer and winter Paralympic medallist, Osteopath and Board Director and yet trust in business and society globally is at an all-time low. In this keynote Jessica will share how she develops, builds and sustains trust whilst adapting to the variabilities around her. The only constant we have in life is that change and trust are necessary for growth and sustainable success. Are you ready?

It’s not what you see but how you choose to see it.

Leadership & Team Work

As an elite performer Jessica’s success is underpinned by the guides that support her to compete, not unlike a manager working with a team. The ever changing dynamics of leadership and team work when coupled with complexity and risk is real and profound regardless of the environment. In order to succeed it’s critical leader’s get it right. In this keynote Jessica shares the lessons she has learnt in developing her ability to interchange between being led, leading others and the impact of when it goes wrong (and how to stop it from going wrong!)

The Agile Mind.

Safety, Risk & Overcoming Fear

How do you remain agile at the time when risk and fear strikes? As a high performance athlete in the dangerous world of Alpine Skiing Jessica shares the practical ways she shaped her risk appetite and turned fear into a must have component of her mindset, skill and performances. It’s easier than you might think to create a positive, empowered mindset to ensure you achieve your goals.

Making the time to live better

Health and Wellness

In our fast paced, complex lives it’s easy to lose sight of looking after your greatest asset, you. As an Osteopath Jess is asked the ultimate question on a weekly basis, how can I gain work/ life balance? In this keynote Jess will help you see health and wellbeing from a new perspective, share her personal stories of overcoming adversity and give you the tips and tools she has used to create positive and sustainable habits to live your best life. How will you make the time to live better?