Empowering Teams to Break Barriers
Empowering Teams to Break Barriers
USA
Three-Time Olympian with the Original Jamaican Bobsled Team and Retired Jamaican Defence Force Captain; Leading Audiences to Visualize Success with an Olympic Mindset.
Request fees and availability5 out of 5 stars
Devon Harris was exactly what my company needed to kick off our Olympic themed event. His story was captivating and inspiring and held the interest of our three hundred employees. Devon was very gracious after his keynote and spent a lot of time signing autographs and talking with our employees one-on-one and in small groups. They were impressed how friendly and fun he was and Devon seemed as happy to be with us as we were with him. He was very well liked by our employees both on and off the stage where he also took the time to socialize with the staff. We received a lot of feedback from staff members not only about how engaging Mr Harris was, but also about his powerful, inspiring message.
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From the sun-baked streets of Kingston, Jamaica, to the freezing tracks of four Winter Olympics, Devon Harris’s extraordinary journey embodies the power of perseverance and unwavering determination. As a founding member of the legendary Jamaican Bobsled Team, Devon didn’t just inspire the beloved Disney classic “Cool Runnings” – he redefined what’s possible when you dare to dream beyond boundaries.
A graduate of the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Devon combines the mental fortitude of an elite military officer with the resilience of an Olympic athlete. His remarkable transformation from a young man in Kingston’s tough inner city to an internationally acclaimed speaker demonstrates the very principles he shares with audiences worldwide: vision, bold action, and the courage to push beyond perceived limitations.
Drawing from his unique experiences, Devon electrifies audiences with a compelling message that resonates across cultures and industries. His signature keynote, “Keep On Pushing”, masterfully weaves powerful storytelling with practical strategies for peak performance, leaving audiences both inspired and equipped with actionable tools for success.
Fortune 500 companies consistently choose Devon for his rare ability to connect Olympic-level mindset training with everyday business challenges. His presentations don’t just motivate – they transform. Whether addressing a small leadership team or commanding an arena of thousands, Devon’s message catalyzes breakthrough performance and lasting change.
Beyond his speaking engagements, Devon is a published author and dedicated philanthropist. His “Keep On Pushing Foundation” supports education initiatives in disadvantaged communities, reflecting his commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation of dreamers and achievers.
Devon’s presentations are more than motivational speeches – they’re transformational experiences that ignite the Olympic spirit within every individual. His message resonates because it comes from lived experience: with the right mindset, there are no limits to what we can achieve. Book Devon Harris today and inspire your team to Keep On Pushing!
See keynotes with Devon HarrisWhen life throws obstacles your way, it’s easy to feel stuck, defeated, or ready to give up. But success isn’t about avoiding setbacks—it’s about how you respond to them. In his inspiring keynote “Keep On Pushing,” Olympic bobsledder and former army officer Devon Harris shows how expanding your vision of what’s possible, building inner strength, and cultivating an unshakable resolve are the keys to overcoming adversity and achieving greatness.
Drawing from his extraordinary experiences on a journey that took him from a gritty Kingston ghetto to the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England to being a member of Jamaica’s first Olympic bobsled team, through his engaging storytelling, Devon will share actionable strategies to help you push through barriers, lead with purpose, and persist even when the odds seem stacked against you. Whether you’re facing personal or professional challenges, this motivational session will leave you energized, motivated, and empowered to keep pushing toward your goals—no matter how steep the climb.
The audience will learn how to:
In “A Bobsledder’s Blueprint for Success“, Devon Harris—Three-time Olympian, and original member of the Jamaican bobsled team, —shares his powerful 6 B’s, a practical and inspirational roadmap for achieving success and overcoming obstacles. Based on his remarkable journey from the sun-drenched streets of Jamaica to the frosty tracks of the Winter Olympics, Devon reveals the core principles that guided him to break barriers and pursue greatness.
This electrifying keynote provides not just motivation, but actionable strategies your audience can apply immediately to fuel their own breakthroughs and triumphs.
Devon will guide you through each of his Six B’s, providing you with a comprehensive blueprint for success in both your personal and professional lives.
Through a blend of riveting stories, practical wisdom, and infectious Jamaican spirit, you’ll discover how to:
Breakthrough: Boldly Break Boundaries, Build : Forge a Firm Foundation, Bounce: Relentlessly Rise and Reinvent, Breathe: Release, Refocus, and Rise, Bond: Together, Triumph through Trust, and Beyond: Patiently Push Past Plateaus.
Devon’s “Bobsledder’s Blueprint for Success” will leave your audience inspired and equipped with the mindset and tools to boldly pursue their goals, rise from adversity, and push past the limits that stand in the way of their success. Prepare to feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, and get on up – it’s success time!
The audience will learn how to:
In “No Sled, No Problem” Devon Harris—original Jamaican bobsled Olympian, and global resilience expert—shares his powerful Three R’s: Responsibility, Reframe, and Relaunch.
Drawing from his extraordinary journey of transforming impossible odds into triumphs, Devon reveals the mindset and strategies that helped him push through adversity from the gritty streets of a Kingston ghetto to the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to the Officer corps of the Jamaica Defence Force, to the glamour of the Olympic Games, with no sled, no snow, and no guarantees.
Devon will guide you through his “Three R’s” – a comprehensive framework for cultivating the resilience needed to overcome any obstacle and achieve your wildest dreams. Through riveting stories, practical wisdom, and a touch of Jamaican flair, you’ll discover:
1. Responsibility: Own Your Situation and Empower Yourself
2. Reframe: Turn Challenges into Opportunities
3. Relaunch: Rise Stronger from Setbacks
The audience will learn how to:
Join three-time Olympian and former Jamaican bobsled team captain Devon Harris for an inspiring, interactive keynote that will transform the way you and your team approach collaboration, resilience, and success. In “Push Together, Win Together”, Devon draws from his extraordinary journey—from the military barracks to the Olympic track—to show how individuals can contribute to collective goals while harnessing the power of diverse skills and shared vision.
Through the engaging subheadings of Collective Compass, Legacy Mindset, Proactive Piloting, Talent Tapestry, and Steadfast Stamina, you’ll discover strategies to foster teamwork that doesn’t just achieve goals but breaks through barriers to achieve the impossible. Devon’s energetic storytelling and actionable insights will leave your team feeling empowered and equipped with practical tools to navigate challenges, tap into each other's strengths, and stay resilient in the face of adversity.
The audience will learn how to:
Whether you’re a seasoned executive, a team leader, or an individual contributor, you’ll leave this session energized, inspired, and equipped with actionable strategies to transform your team’s performance. Get ready to laugh, learn, and be moved as Devon guides you through the principles that took him from underdog to Olympian – and that can take your team from ordinary to extraordinary.
In a world where high-pressure situations are the norm, staying calm, focused, and effective is the ultimate key to success. Whether you’re facing tight deadlines, competitive markets, or personal challenges, how you respond under pressure can define the outcome.
Join Olympic bobsledder and former army officer Devon Harris for an empowering and engaging keynote that reveals how to master the art of calm amidst chaos. Drawing from his experience navigating high-stakes environments on and off the track, Devon will take you through his proven framework to help you not only survive high-pressure situations but thrive in them. Using the guiding principles of Pursue with Passion, Prioritize the Pivotal, Pause to Reflect, Prepare Proactively, Progress Piece by Piece, and Persevere through Pitfalls, this talk will equip you with practical strategies to stay cool, confident, and in control, no matter what comes your way.
Through a blend of riveting personal anecdotes, practical wisdom, and interactive exercises,
The audience will learn how to:
Whether you’re a business leader facing high-stakes decisions, a professional navigating a competitive industry, or an individual striving for personal growth, you’ll leave this session equipped with powerful tools to thrive under pressure. Get ready to be inspired, energized, and transformed as Devon guides you through the principles that took him from underdog to Olympian – and that can help you turn pressure into performance in your own life.
“Good speakers come and inspire – GREAT speakers understand the objective of the meeting and personalize their message to fit. The extra work Devon put in customizing his presentation really reinforced the goals of the meeting!”
Gartner
“Thank you for the incredibly passionate and inspirational speech you delivered at our annual meeting. You had our attention from the start and we thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the insightful lessons you drew from your Olympic bobsled experiences.”
Db Shenker
“Devon Harris was the most well-prepared keynote speaker I have ever had the pleasure of working with for a user conference. He truly took the time to understand what our business and event were about, and he included many relevant details from our prep call into his highly engaging presentation.”
Crownpeak
When looking for a motivational speaker for our first virtual company meeting I have to say I was feeling slightly nervous about how a motivational speaker would work virtually – would we get the same presence, excitement and inspiration that we get from speakers when we meet in person? With Devon Harris I have to say the answer is YES! Devon is a fantastic speaker – his talk was motivating, engaging and humorous and most of all it was memorable. His story is truly inspirational and the life lessons pulled through from his experience have stayed with us beyond the presentation. In fact he is often quoted by employees in other meetings since we heard him speak in January! The feedback from those that heard his presentation was amazing and I would absolutely recommend him to speak at any company engagement.
Your presentation was exciting, motivating, captivating and your delivery was flawless. It set the stage for the rest of the day; enabling an open environment to discuss, to plan and to strategize together as one team. It was also commendable that you researched our conference and customized your story to fit within our theme of “Take Back Control.”
You are a talented speaker with tremendous wit and truly energized our community during the Grand Opening Ceremonies for the new building to be used by Boys and Girls Club of East Texas. You spoke candidly about your life experiences, motivating everyone to exceed their expectations and be all they can be. It was indeed a day to remember in Longview, Texas.
We had the pleasure of working with Devon Harris as a guest speaker for our annual meeting of the top-50 executives in our company. Devon’s keynote address provided the ultimate emotional and motivational send-off for our team members. He did his homework on our company and made sure that through his speech, he connected with our people. Devon’s story about overcoming adversity and achieving the nearly im- possible inspired all of us to dream big!.
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for speaking at our National Sales Meeting in Montreal. As you know, the theme of the meeting was “Breakthrough” so that we could focus the team on overcoming obstacles in the marketplace and delivering world-class results. Your story and message was ideal for the challenges that we were facing. You helped us to see that there is “always a way to win….and we must find it!!!” We are winning now…but are always challenging ourselves to raise the bar and anticipate additional obstacles. Thanks for all you have done to help us continue to strive for a commitment to excellence.
Throughout the process from the initial contact until the speech was delivered, Mr Harris was very professional,forthcoming and cooperative and easy to work with. He arrived on time and was well prepared and showed a genuine interest in our company. He was very well liked by our employees both on and off the stage where he also took the time to socialize with the staff. We received a lot of feedback from staff members not only about how engaging Mr Harris was, but also about his powerful, inspiring message.
Devon Harris was exactly what my company needed to kick off our Olympic themed event. His story was captivating and inspiring and held the interest of our three hundred employees. Devon was very gracious after his keynote and spent a lot of time signing autographs and talking with our employees one-on-one and in small groups. They were impressed how friendly and fun he was and Devon seemed as happy to be with us as we were with him. He was very well liked by our employees both on and off the stage where he also took the time to socialize with the staff. We received a lot of feedback from staff members not only about how engaging Mr Harris was, but also about his powerful, inspiring message.
Devon was the perfect complement to our national sales meeting. He brought elements of sincerity, inspiration, motivation and relevance; in a manner that aligns with any sales organization. In addition, he perfectly aligned his message to our team in a manner that inspired everyone to keep forging forward to achieve their goals…..and his message continues alive well beyond our meeting and drives our team today!” He was very well liked by our employees both on and off the stage where he also took the time to socialize with the staff. We received a lot of feedback from staff members not only about how engaging Mr Harris was, but also about his powerful, inspiring message.
The audience was hanging on to every word he said. Everyone was so inspired and challenged by Devon’s story. When he finished his speech Devon remained at the podium and answered questions for another 30 minutes. By this time it was 11pm, but that didn’t deter the crowd from standing in line to get their pictures taken with him. In looking over our participant surveys, Devon’s presentation was consistently rated as the highlight of our meeting.
What is the message you hope people take away from your presentations?
Neither their past nor current circumstances should dictate their future. If they keep on pushing with a clear vision they can always take their game to the next level and achieve the success they imagined.
Do you have a favorite experience from your speaking career?
The thing I enjoy most about my speaking career is feeling on purpose—feeling like this is what I was meant to do. When someone in the audience comes up and tells me how much my remarks mean to them personally…..comments like, “ I feel like you were talking to me” or “ That’s just what I needed. Thank you” ; it absolutely makes my day.
How do you prepare for speaking engagements?
I really zero in on the theme of the meeting to fully understand the goals the client has set for the meeting and how best I can I can draw on my experiences-the anecdotes , the lessons, and the analogies; to help the client achieve those goals. The pre-program questionnaire that I ask the client to fill out or a conference call with them is invaluable in helping me understand the audience, company culture, the challenges they are facing in their company and the industry at large and of course, the client’s expectations of me. I also spend time browsing through their website. All of this helps me to put together a presentation that is customized and relevant to my audience.
Can you give 3 tips for effective teamwork?
1. The team needs to have a clear vision. Everyone on the team needs to understand what the expected outcomes are. They also need to buy into the vision as this raises their level of commitment, gets them excited about the opportunity and motivated to work through the difficulties.
2. There must be good communication. This includes;
3. Effective leadership. Every successful team has a good leader- a person who:
How much does humor factor into your keynotes and other speaking engagements?
I don’t go out my way to “crack jokes” but I think humor is very important and I always use it in my presentations. Some of my humor is self-deprecating but I have no problem with laughing at myself. More importantly, humor helps to break down the barriers between me and the audience, allows them to relax and allows me to simply have a conversation with them as opposed to feeling like I am talking at them . Humor also helps me to bring attention to the points I am making. My best gauge that it is effective is when an audience member repeats one of my jokes to me afterwards.
Who inspires you the most?
I am inspired most by human stories of triumph over adversity. So whether it is the story of a famous person I am watching on the television or the anonymous person I am sitting next to on a plane; I really get pumped up when I hear how they were able to endure through tremendous difficulties and were still able to succeed. Those stories always remind me that I can overcome my challenges as well, no matter what they may be.
How are your keynote presentations unique?
I am able to take my audiences on a journey from Olympic Gardens-a tough ghetto environment in Kingston, Jamaica, to the prestige of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England to the excitement of competing in three Olympic Winter Games. It’s a wild ride with as many twists and turns as you would find on a bobsled track but one which demonstrates to the audience that they too can make the journey from their Olympic Gardens to their Olympic Games.
How do you relate your experience in sports to the business world?
The principles are the same. You begin by being clear about what you are working to achieve. In sports we devise a training program which we follow diligently. In business we also need to create and follow a plan of action.
In sports I am able to constantly evaluate my progress based on my times in training, how much weight I can lift in a particular exercise or my performance in a competition. The results dictate the corrective actions I need to take. In business, I am always involved in this process of self-evaluation as well as this helps me to identify which actions I need to take in order to reach my goals. This includes finding ways to persist through the challenging times and even recreating some of those intense passions and emotions I would feel when I was preparing for and actually taking part in a competition.
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