John Register

Live a healthier, wealthier, more fulfilling, passionate and purposeful life.

John Register is a two-time Paralympian, Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, Persian Gulf War veteran, and TEDx Motivational Speaker.  He embraced a “new normal” in becoming an amputee following a misstep over a hurdle while training for the 1996 Olympic Games, after participation in two consecutive Olympic trials.

An Oak Park, Ill. native, Register discovered how to “amputate his fear of disability” and founded the U.S. Olympic Committee Military Sport Program in the early 2000s.  He has launched a book titled: 10 Stories to Impact Any Leader: Journal Your Way to Leadership Success, as business leaders return to work with their staff amid stressful circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic and the recent unrest in our urban cities.

Register teaches others through his “Hurdling Adversity” speeches and podcasts to “amputate their fear and embrace their new normal,” as they discover “stories within themselves.”  He finds that “it is the personal stories that inspire teams more profoundly with greater impact.”

Register is a four-time All-American graduate of University of Arkansas.  He served six years in the U.S. Army—including in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and in active-duty with the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program—winning nine gold medals in the Armed Services Competition and two World Military Championships.

Register had his left leg amputated after a misstep over a hurdle changed his life.  Register hyperextended his knee and severed the popliteal artery.  He started swimming to aid in his recovery, made the U.S. Paralympic Team in 1996, and later won a silver medal in the long jump—as he set an American record—and sprinted to fifth in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the U.S. Paralympic Games in Sydney.

Hurdle Adversity: Embrace Your New Normal Mindset

This inspirational keynote focuses on identifying individual fears which constrict our growth mindset and provides a pathway to a new normal mindset to win life’s medals because there is no going back to normal.

Amputate Fear and Embrace a New Normal Mindset follows the amazing inspirational lived-experience journey of John Register, who was a world-class athlete and Army combat veteran. Register’s life changed with one wrong step. I miss-stepped after running over a hurdle in a pre-Olympic training event, and dislocated Register’s left leg. Subsequently, his left leg was amputated 7 days later. Register developed a normal mindset, and proceeded to make two Paralympic teams and win the Long Jump silver medal in Sydney, Australia just 7 years after his amputation.

Post his athletic career, Register has inspired millions to live more courageously and commit to running over the hurdles in their lives.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this presentation participants will be able to:

• Describe The New Normal Mindset as a growth mindset to inspire team innovative growth to increase performance.
• Identify 1 action step needed to overcome “hurdle” any adversity.
• State the three steps to a new normal mindset.

Now is the time to increase your and your team’s resilience and foster greater engagement to being more adaptable in this rapidly changing environment.

The Corporate Advantage: Disability – The “D” In Diversity

You probably know that the American with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment. So, why then is there an over 80% unemployment rate for people with disabilities in the United States?

You also probably know that extracurricular athletics are an important component of an overall education program and lead to socialization, improved teamwork, and leadership skills. So, then why are students with disabilities not being afforded an equal opportunity to participate?

Might these two areas (sport and the ADA) be connected?

In this highly interactive presentation, John Register, TEDx speaker on “Why We Do Not Overcome Adversity,” discusses the problem of attitudinal barriers that hinder hiring an available and trained labor force as well as some of the key indicators that may play a role in those outcomes.

He focuses on the fact that disability cuts across all business resource groups or BRG’s.

John offers 3 solution oriented points for consideration in order to overcome these areas of concern and foster a work environment that values the contributions of all citizens.

Goal:  To inspire your organization to attain greater victory by increasing the appreciation, talents and diverse skills sets, of all employees through the use of team building techniques, storytelling, interactive collaboration and accountability measures.

Summary:  Diversity takes on many forms.  Even seeing the word written on a person can conjure up emotional ties.  We may often think of diversity in a very conventional way but when we take a closer look we find that diversity is all around us.  Not only can it be our cultural differences in values, beliefs, and norms, but it can also take on the form of job skills and specialties in the workplace. Understanding and appreciating the differences from one’s own culture can lead to richer and better solutions to goals and challenges.

Reach Your Peak: Create The Winning Mindset

Citius, Altius, Fortius. These three Latin words are the foundation of the Olympic movement.

What lessons can be learned from an athlete’s journey to winning an Olympic medal? How can you harness the laser focus of the world’s greatest athletes? What systems can be employed in reaching one’s own podium in life?

These questions and more are answered in this uniquely designed keynote that takes leaders inside the mind of an athlete.

For example, did you realize that most athletes who make an Olympic team will not medal at the event? How then to those who do medal manage the distractions and stay focused on the task at hand?

John walks you through his athletic journey, both Olympic and Paralympic and shares his insights on gaining the edge over competitors to always put him in position to win.

The interactive activities and exercises the participants take part in will release the competitive champion spirit in your organization and position you to be a top your medal podium.

By the end of this presentation your team will learn:

• 3 Olympic training techniques to outperform your competitor
• insights into leveraging your competitive advantage
• how to set your dogma to push through adversity

Your company will be in a better position to win and sustain the competitive advantage after this dynamic high powered presentation.