Maureen Manley

Albert Einstein observed, "Nothing happens until something moves."

Maureen Manley knows how to get things moving.

Put her in front of a group and be prepared for everyone in the room to be moved. Moved emotionally by her astonishing story of overcoming adversity. Moved by the great empathy and understanding she has for the human condition. Moved by her courage and by her conviction that each of us has within us the strength to achieve a meaningful and fulfilling life. Moved to say, "I can do that."

Maureen is among those all-too-rare speakers who can address a crowd of hundreds, yet have each person in attendance feel as though she is speaking to him or her individually.

By the early Nineties Maureen was a U.S. national cycling champion, part of the same team that included Lance Armstrong. Her face graced the pages of Sports Illustrated and boxes of cereal. After competing in three World Championships, she was looking for a shot at joining the 1992 Olympic Team. But it was not to be. While in the heat of racing in the 1991 Tour de France, Maureen experienced blurred vision, causing her to crash. Her diminished vision was among the first symptoms of what would be diagnosed as multiple sclerosis, that vexingly mysterious disease with no clear cause or cure.

It is Maureen's struggle with shattered dreams, uncertainty and rebuilding a life that form the springboard of her message. Much more important however, are her stories and insights about her success in creating new dreams – of how it's possible to build confidence and courage by focusing on working with what you have, and building from there.

In Maureen's case, this rebuilding resulted with her earning a Master's Degree in Integrated Wellness, establishing her private practice, returning to her much loved sport of cycling and to a life rich with purpose, meaning and joy.