Colin Angus

Colin Angus

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Explorer | Author | Filmmaker

Colin Angus is the first person to circle the world exclusively by human power. A leading adventurer, filmmaker, bestselling author, and named by Outside magazine as one of the “World’s Top 25 Bold Visionaries,” Colin shares his strategies for achieving the seemingly impossible, increasing efficiency, maintaining motivation, and risk management, while delighting audiences with his thrilling stories of life off the beaten path.

Angus has had a life full of transformative experiences. He spent five years sailing the Pacific Ocean, exploring countries including French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea; he and two friends rafted down the Amazon River, braving treacherous white-water rapids and even gunfire from guerilla fighters; he survived being lost in the Mongolian wilderness with no tools for survival while seeking to navigate the Yenisey River; and, in perhaps his greatest accomplishment, he walked, biked, skied, paddled, and rowed more than 43,000 kilometers, crossing three continents and two oceans to complete the first human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth.

Other feats include the fastest human-powered circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in a rowboat; rowing 7,000 kilometres from Scotland to Syria; and, most recently, a National Geographic Expedition searching for the origins of the olive tree.

Angus is the author of five books, and his writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Explore, enRoute, and Reader’s Digest, among others. He has also co-produced four documentaries, which went on to collectively win more than ten awards at international film festivals.

Currently, Colin is continuing to push boundaries as an entrepreneur.  Along with Julie Angus, the pair cofounded Angus Rowboats and Open Ocean Robotics, a company producing autonomous boats.  He is the father of two boys and lives in Victoria, BC.

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Speaking topics

Rowboat In A Hurricane: Dealing with Change and Unexpected Setbacks

Imagine surviving a hurricane with nothing more than a rowboat to shelter you. When Colin set off on a quest to row across the Atlantic this was not what he anticipated. But Colin soon realized that to succeed he’d not only need to deal with adversity and uncertainly, but embrace it and use it as an opportunity to grow and prosper. Colin shares techniques to deal with changing environments including altering our perception, preparing for the unexpected, assessing risks, and improving communication.

Presentation Themes: Coping with change, adaptability, communication, risk assessment, motivation, goal setting, inspiration

Office in a Rowboat: Taking Teamwork to the Extreme

Colin and his expedition partner and wide, Julie Angus, deliver an engaging and entertaining account of the five months they spent rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, focusing on strategies they used to foster teamwork. It doesn’t get more stressful than living, eating, and working within the confines of a rowboat for months on end and this dynamic duo will share their strategies for fostering harmonious and productive dynamics. They dissect the essential components of effective teamwork including conflict resolution, motivation and communication.

Presentation Themes: Team building, project management, leadership, adaptability, inspiration

Increasing Personal Potential

We are all capable of achieving more. Angus shares his strategies for increasing efficiency, maintaining motivation, and avoiding pitfalls through risk management. These lessons are presented within the entertaining and often hilarious tale of his two-year expedition circling the world by human power. By juxtaposing the difficulties he faced to the challenges in our business and personal lives, Colin offers an insightful and entertaining perspective on how to overcome our fears, learn more about ourselves, and set goals that help us reach beyond our ambitions.

Presentation Themes: Goal setting, inspiration, motivation, leadership

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Video clips

Colin and Julie Angus - Motivational Speaking

Speaker testimonials

Your presentation and story was incredible and most certainly one of the highlights of the entire conference.

St Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation

Thank you for such an excellent presentation, all the staff loved it and we have received awesome feedback from so many clients. You’ll be a hard act to beat next year.

CIBC Wood Gundy

Colin and Julie were simply sensational. They were excellent to deal with prior to the conference, a real pleasure to meet and chat with, and of course they delivered a memorable presentation that our franchisees are still buzzing about. I would highly recommend them.

Magnetsigns

Colin and Julie were a HUGE hit! Everyone came out thoroughly amazed and impressed.

Freestone Capital Management

You overcame some truly remarkable mental and environmental challenges. I know everyone at our annual marketing conference greatly appreciated your presentation and went away equally as inspired as I did. I was so moved it brought tears to my eyes.

Helly Hansen

Thank you for being with us and for delivering your presentation with such enthusiasm, humour, sincerity and spirit.

Canada West Ski Areas Association

Everyone loved your presentation; you are inspiring, courageous, amazing individuals.

Capital Regional District

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