In April 1994, Australian adventurer and mountaineer Grahame Murphy made headlines around the world when he was one of four Australians in an international team, which went to the North Pole by… parachute. More precisely – a freefall parachute jump from a Russian cargo plane and it set a world record.

Tumbling out of the airplane, he travelled through the air at 320 km/h and endured the incredible temperature, including a windchill factor of -120C.

Anything else after that would have to be an anticlimax. Or maybe not. In 1996 Grahame climbed to the summit of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, a 6,970-metre (22,834 ft) peak; the highest mountain in the world outside of Asia.

Earlier that year he climbed the Linda Glacier of Mount Cook, involving a 22-hour summit day replete with a section of ice climbing.

In 2000, four years older, at 45, Grahame was the only Australian in a nine-man team which travelled from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. It involved hauling a sled for 1,150km without support vehicles and only two re-fuelling drops, all in 68 days.

Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, East Malaysia, is the highest mountain in South-East Asia. Grahame ran up and down the mountain on the 25th anniversary of the annual Climathon race. This was to be the last time the event went all the way to the summit and back, due to the high attrition rate amongst competitors in previous events.

Grahame Murphy is now 57 years old and he still loves extreme adventure sports such canyoning, rock climbing, abseiling, bungy jumping, triathlons, downhill skiing and hang gliding.

Is this one of the most incredible bloke pushing 60 in Australia? You be the judge. He has run more than 67 full-length 42km marathons (35 in under 3 hours) and nearly 150,000 km since he stopped smoking 32 years ago.

So if you are looking for a motivational speaker at your next conference or corporate event contact Grahame on 1300 611 288 or info@kona.com.au and ask how he can take your team to new heights.

A Mountain Climber in Peak Condition KONACan KONACan - Motivational Speakers

The author Henry David Thoreau wrote:
“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them”.
In 2000 like many men Glenn Dobson, 53, father, husband and businessman reached the age of 40 and having been retired from footy for over 7 years thought there must be more to life than just working all hours, paying the mortgage and watching TV. So with the concerns of his family in mind he entered the Nepean Enticer Triathlon: a 250m swim followed by a 10km cycle then a 2.5km run.

It did however also inspire him to start a ‘new life’ as an Ultra Distance athlete and over the last 12 years has gone on to do things no ordinary men do:
He has completed 20 Ironman Triathlons (a 4kms swim, 180 kms bike, then a 42 kms Marathon run;) Run ultra-marathons across the Australian Simpson Desert and Sahara Desert, where temperatures can range from -3C to over 53C, and raised thousands of dollars for Breast Cancer patients.

Even though he is, by his own account, an “average bloke” he is continually pushing himself beyond the limits of what can be reasonably expected from an “average bloke”. It is this very paradox, which makes him such an exceptional motivational speaker and presenter. But there is more. Last year he stepped into the boxing ring and fought 3 rounds with the ex-heavyweight boxing champion of Australia, and former NSW and Manly Sea Eagles winger, John Hopoate, just 6 days before running 475 kms across the Simpson Desert.

A daunting task in anyone’s language, yet to increase awareness – and thereby gain sponsorships – for his fundraising activities and the worthy organisations which benefit from them.

In business Glenn really practises what he preaches. His dream is to compete in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, so over 11 years ago he named his training business the KONA Group, after this world-renowned event.

Glenn is also the Managing Director and the driving force behind KONACan, which provides motivational and keynote speakers for conferences, events and conventions and KONACan give all its profits to breast cancer and prostate cancer patients. In his presentation “Putting the Heart Beat Back into Life” Glenn challenges and inspires ordinary people to aim higher and achieve more than they ever thought possible.

Recently since watching Glenn on stage 2 attendees from different organisations have both lost over 20kgs, and another organisation’s sales team has DOUBLED their revenue in only 6 months. Despite all of his achievements, Glenn insists that he is not special. Yet his story is inspiring, and that is why he is such a persuasive and authentic motivational speaker.

If you want to bring your next conference, event or team meeting to life contact a KONACan Motivational Speaker on 1300 611 288 or info@kona.com.au

A Real Heavyweight for Charity KONACan KONACan - Motivational Speakers

This years Triathlon Long Course World Championships was raced over 4 kms swim in the Hoover Dam, then a 120 kms bike followed immediately by a 30kms run – 3 times the Olympic distance

And KONACan speaker Glenn Dobson was in the middle of it having been selected to represent Australia

Fresh from running across the Sahara Desert earlier this year 53 year old Glenn of the KONA Group was excited to be selected in the Australian team for the race and even though he didn’t return as World Champion he represented Australia with pride.

Dobson said “Unfortunately I got beaten by a load of blokes 25 years my junior and 15 kgs lighter, however it was a wonderful honour and a marvellous week away.

I really appreciate all of the support and encouragement our clients and friends have given me as they have helped my business grow enough for me to be able to take time away to train and race”

Triathlon World Championships in Las Vegas KONACan KONACan - Motivational Speakers

Grahame will fly via Singapore to Kota Kinabalu and base himself on the edge of the Kinabalu National Park ready for his endeavour scheduled for Saturday 22 October 2011. He is participating in a unique event organized by the International Skyrunners Association. At 57 years of age, he is probably one of the oldest competitors to take on the formidable challenge.

Mount Kinabalu is often climbed by serious outdoor enthusiasts. It involves a rigorous two-day ascent & descent. Because of its difficult terrain, local authorities insist casual mountain climbers employ the services of a qualified guide. The Skyrunners event however is quite different. Grahame and his fellow competitors have to navigate their own way up and down the massive mountain.

2/3rds of the route comprises relentless steep steps often up to 15 inches high or more that are covered in mud and tree roots. The upper third of the ascent, above the tree line, is bald rock with fixed ropes. The challenge has a very tight cut-off time – Grahame must reach the summit in under 3.5 hours or be forced to abandon his attempt!

Grahame is a senior consultant and performance coach/trainer with the KONA Group, specializing in transforming business results through leadership, organisational and individual effectiveness. He is a founding member of an international partnership with John C. Maxwell, widely recognised as the world’s foremost authority on, and practitioner of, leadership skills and equipping.

Grahame has an adventurous spirit, having successfully participated in expeditions to both North & South Geographic Poles. He has climbed Mt. Cook in New Zealand, run down & up the sides of the Grand Canyon in Arizona and run up & down Mt. Fuji in Japan. He keeps fairly fit, having run 67 full length (42kms) marathon

Mountain Top Challenge KONACan KONACan - Motivational Speakers

Conquering the Simpson Desert in 2010 inspired the KONACan team to seek new challenges, reach new heights and raise even more money to fight cancer.

In 2011 KONA again took up the challenge and completed three of the most gruelling and challenging races on the planet, by running a total of 521 kilometres across mountains, rivers, deserts and sand dunes all in the space of seven weeks.

The warm-up

In March Justin, Glenn and Grahame warmed-up in the Six Foot Track marathon, a 45 kilometre run through Sydney’s Blue Mountains traversing hills, rivers and logging tracks from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves.

Main event 1 – Marathon des Sables

On 1 April Justin and Glenn competed against a world-class field in the Marathon des Sables.

Recognised as the world’s toughest endurance running race, the Marathon des Sables MDS (trans: “Marathon of the Sands”) is a 250 kilometre, 7 day Ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert.

Glenn and Justin were self-sufficient for the entire race and carried all of their essential gear – food, sleeping bag, clothing, medical equipment, anti-venom to protect against snake bites and scorpions, and an emergency flare – in 10 kilogram rucksacks. Event organisers provide only two things: water rations and a traditional, two-sided Berber tent each night for groups of eight people to collapse and sleep in.

Extreme temperatures are just one of the challenges they faced, with daytime highs of 51° C (125°F), sand temperature being even hotter, and night time lows dropping down below 0°. And just in case it starts to get easy, there could be some sandstorms thrown into the mix.

Main event 2 – Australian Ironman Triathlon

Unbelievably, a mere three weeks after his return home, on 1 May Glenn took on a solo event to cap off these amazing 50 days by competing in his 20th Ironman Triathlon!!

Just a quick 4 kilometre swim, followed by a 180 kilometre bike ride, polished off with a 42 kilometre marathon run as Glenn attempted to fulfil a life-long dream and qualify for the Hawaii Ironman on Kona Island.

2011 Challenges for the KONAcan team KONACan KONACan - Motivational Speakers