Dion Leonard's lifestyle was killing him. Weighing 250 pounds; Leonard’s uncontrollable eating habits, heavy smoking and excessive drinking to hide the demons from his abusive and turbulent childhood were leading him to an early grave. Whilst climbing the career ladder as a highly successful entrepreneur and corporate senior leader with over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing with some of the largest FMCG and Wine & Spirits businesses in the industry; Leonard felt his life was missing a deeper purpose.
He took up running and found the further he ran, the tougher the challenge, the more he learned to harness the power to overcome any obstacle in front of him. In his New York Times bestselling memoir, Finding Gobi (Thomas Nelson), Leonard shares his inspiring story of how one act of kindness would change his life forever during a 155-mile ultra-race in the Chinese Gobi Desert.
While competing in a 155-mile race through the Gobi Desert in China, Leonard crossed paths with a lovable pup, who would later earn the name Gobi, going step for step with Leonard across the Tian Shan Mountains. Their unbreakable bond would become the ultimate challenge and their epic adventure would change both of their lives forever. Finding Gobi is now in development for film production.
Dion learned that with dedication, perseverance, and determination, it's possible to conquer extraordinary challenges whether that is against the race terrain of a desert or day-to-day life. Leonard’s drive to succeed in not only ultra running but life, in general, is unquestionably one of his strengths, and it has led him to major speaking engagements all across the globe.
Speaking Topics:
· Don't Look Back: Achieve The Unachievable
· Being YOU and Becoming the Best YOU
· Amplifying Mindset and Positive Attitude
· Building Growth & Momentum: Finding Your Why
· Leading with Intent, Purpose & Perseverance to Achieve Success
· Overcoming Adversity & Achieving Against the Odds
