The Athletic Presenter Story
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The course was created by Bill Sequin, an Aspen, Colorado resident, now retired. The early origins of The Athletic Presenter Story was teaching ski instructors for the Aspen Skiing Company. The instructors’ jobs were to transfer their knowledge of skiing to other instructors, skiing athletes and the public. These students responded quickly to speech training and it became apparent their athleticism was the key allowing them to retain this practice rapidly. From this, it was clear that public speaking was the body in motion, athleticism and thus became what it is today.
From these modest beginnings it became popular with salespeople and executives looking to improve their speaking abilities, raise their confidence and grow their leadership skills. Bill then grew to teach executives at Oppenheimer Funds. From here the course grew to include CEOs, senators, mid-level managers, engineers, marketing teams and continues to coach athletes today.
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How it came about that I would teach others
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I had taken 20-25 different speech classes in my career. None of them took. The teachers consistently said, “do this,” “don’t do that,” or “you had 23 "ums" & "ers", you need to stop doing them.” This technique was unable to reach any fundamentals of overcoming this fear. I took The Athletic Presenter class when I was leading a sales team at Inflow. It resonated so well that I immediately signed up for the next one. In learning the history of the course and being athletic, it clicked. Shortly after those two classes I was asked to make a 30-minute presentation to 300-400 of the top CEOs, bankers, investors, startups and angel funders in the greater Denver Metro area. I found out 30 minutes before I had to present! Normally I would have felt sick to my stomach, begin to sweat, dry mouth with a huge lump in my throat. But with this course, I wrote my speech in 20 minutes and gave a 25-minute speech. I was very nervous, but no one was the wiser and it kicked off a great, successful event. The moment I finished, I realized it was this course and decided that if I can do it, I was obligated to help others. Get them to a point where they could experience that aha moment where they realize they can do this!
Pete Matthews "Coach"
Coach Pete has been instructing for over 25 years, from leadership, marketing & sales, motorcycling, skiing, soccer, racquetball & diving. His natural talent started in sports and advanced to a more career focus. He has been teaching public speaking for over 15 years and helped thousands find their inner voice and get to that "aha!" moment in public speaking. His ability to find the right technique or invent new ones is instinctual and is tailored to each individual. Everyone learns differently, and he takes the time to find out what works best for you.
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Pete has lived in Colorado for over 22 years and continues to enjoy the outdoor living. When not coaching or training, you can find him riding his motorcycle or doing activities with his 3 kids.
Man’s Worst Fears
Using your favorite search engine, search “man’s top 10 fears,” and you will discover public speaking will come in 1st or 2nd! The fear of death is consistently 6th or 7th. Thus, at a funeral, people would rather be in the coffin than provide the eulogy. What would you be able to accomplish if you overcame and mastered that fear? You would find it liberating, motivational, inspirational and incredibly enriching. You will feel like you could conquer the world.
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Convey Knowledge, Inspire to Act
The purpose of public speaking is to be able to successfully convey knowledge to your audience to such a degree that it motivates them to take action. The Athletic Presenter is one of the best skills development courses available to make you more successful in that endeavor. You will immediately find yourself with greater means to convey knowledge to your audience whether it is 1:1 or 1 to many. Studies show that approximately 50% of the ability to transfer knowledge comes from the body and the body’s energy. 40% comes from the voice. The remaining 10% is the content. All three are key to becoming the best presenter possible yet most people tend to focus on the content, the least effective.
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​Unique Strengths
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The Athletic Presenter, the course you are embarking on, begins from a position of strength. There is a speaker in all of us. It just takes good coaching to bring it out and show you your potential. When we think of great speakers like Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Clinton, Mohatma Gandhi, JFK, among a few, they had their unique styles and characteristics. No two are alike. You also have unique qualities and capabilities locked inside. We here at The Athletic Presenter dedicate ourselves to bring out that orator inside you; the authentic you. We focus on your unique strengths versus fixating on one’s weaknesses. It is our role as your coach to recognize, develop and bring out and build on your unique talents.
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Honing Skills
Public speaking is no different than sports skills development. The Athletic Presenter trains your muscles (body, voice, eyes) to act in given situations so that it becomes fluid, instinctual. An athlete, professional or recreational, does not have to think about throwing a ball, hitting a puck or swinging a club. Their bodies already know how through coaching and training. When it comes time to speak, that muscle memory kicks in so you can focus on the delivery of the message making it highly effective.