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Dr. Natalie Stavas: Speaking Demo
Dr. Natalie Stavas | Keynote Demo
Speech Topics
Natalie Stavas was born on a farm in Nebraska. She was once told that people from Nebraska don’t do well in places like Boston. She proved them wrong.
Natalie was the first person from Nebraska to be accepted into the Harvard Pediatric Training program at Boston Children’s Hospital. One year after moving to Boston she received the Boston Foundation’s Change Maker award and in 2013 she received the Bostonian of The Year Award. This award is given to Bostonians who impact their community in a remarkable way.
An avid runner, Natalie’s philosophy for success is… “You Run Toward.” This philosophy was never more apparent than on April 15th 2013. She had just run 26 miles and was about to finish the Boston marathon when the bombs detonated at the finish line. Instead of turning around and running away with the crowd, she ran towards the chaos and saved 4 lives that day.
Natalie has been honored by President Obama, as well as featured on CNN, BBC, CBC, and Fox News. She has also appeared on the cover of Runner’s World Magazine and Sports Illustrated.
Natalie Stavas attacks every obstacle with the same attitude: “You run towards that which you fear, that which challenges you, that which is oppositional.” Natalie speaks to audiences about her experience as a first responder and what ultimately led her to make that fateful decision to run into a terrorist attack.
This presentation will:
- Begin by showing a challenging situation and posing a question
- Ask the audience to reflect on chaos in their own life and how they respond
- Incorporate Natalie’s humorous upbringing on a farm in Nebraska to demonstrate challenges we face
- Talk about real life chaos both internal and external
- Discuss the ultimate decision of literally “running into chaos” and how to deal with the consequences
- Explore why we should all consider ourselves people who “run towards”
- Discuss how we find meaning in our chaotic lives
Audiences will learn:
- That, although counter intuitive, running towards chaos actually makes chaos more manageable
- Why humans are genetically predisposed to be selfless and how to incorporate that into everyday life
- How internal chaos can paralyze us from achieving our full potential
- How we find meaning in the chaotic world that surrounds us
Biography
Dr. Natalie Stavas was approaching the finish line of her 5th Boston marathon when explosions shook the city. Instinctively running towards the chaos that ravaged the renowned athletic event, she raced to save as many lives as possible, administering CPR, applying tourniquets and triaging the wounded. Recognized for her bravery, her actions resulted in her emerging as a national hero, honored by President Barack Obama and named “2013 Bostonian of the Year” by The Boston Globe.
Fervently committed to making a difference, Dr. Stavas works as a physician at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and is pursuing fellowship training in Child Protection pediatrics and obtaining a Masters in Health Science and Public Policy at The University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Stavas continues to adopt new methods for contributing toward her cause, now serving as a weekly medical contributor for Boston’s FOX 25 and a mentor for the non-profit, Sole Train. She also travels regularly to Haiti to provide medical care to children and help strengthen the fragile medical infrastructure, and her work as a medical pioneer was featured in a documentary that premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest film festival.
With a distinctive “Running Towards Chaos” philosophy, Dr. Stavas uses medical expertise and personal experiences—from her upbringing on a Nebraska farm to the Boston terrorist attacks—to provide fascinating and constructive insight on the importance of altruism and strategies for conquering fear, finding meaning in a chaotic world and ultimately running towards chaos.
"In a word, she was inspirational. Dr. Stavas has a talent for delivering useful information that is also motivational."
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