In one moment, Robert Paylor was experiencing the pinnacle of athletic achievement, competing for the collegiate rugby national championship. In the next moment, his life took an unexpected and devastating turn. Robert suffered a severe spinal cord injury due to foul play, leaving him unable to move or feel anything below his neck. His doctor's prognosis was grim: he would never walk or move his hands for the rest of his life.
Even in the face of tremendous adversity, Robert maintained the drive to reclaim his life, but his challenges had only just begun. His rehabilitation journey began with battling spinal fusion surgery, pneumonia, and an inability to swallow, losing 60 pounds in only one month. He had to relearn almost every basic human function, from feeding himself to getting dressed to brushing his teeth.
Rather than let this tragedy define him, Robert used it as a catalyst for an extraordinary journey of redefining what is possible. Through an unbreakable vision and years of relentless determination, Robert can now walk 500 yards, he stood to receive his diploma from UC Berkeley’s top-ranked Haas School of Business, and is sharing the mental tools that have helped him persevere through paralysis as an inspirational speaker.
Robert’s story has captivated millions around the world, being shared by major outlets including Sports Illustrated, People Magazine, Fox News, and The San Francisco Chronicle. As a sought-after speaker and author, his message has stirred leading Fortune 500 companies like Visa, Intel, Samsung, Accenture, Edward Jones, and Meta, as well as collegiate and professional sports teams, schools, and associations around the country.
Inspiring, moving, and brilliant. Those are just three of the words used to describe Rob Paylor’s moving keynote delivered as a fireside chat at our company virtual company kickoff. So moving were his words around “mindset”, “the mental diet”, “gratitude”, and “resiliency” that it moved me, the CEO of the company, to tears during the interview. His story as a top collegiate championship athlete paralyzed during a game, along with the years of hard daily work to defy the doctor’s predictions is one that will move any employee, especially sales team members. HIs gentle giant spirit, manner of speech, perfect pauses, modulation, the tone was the icing on the cake. As a professional keynote speaker myself, I can say, he is one of the best speakers I have had the pleasure of seeing on stage. A key takeaway for me was his practice of a clean mental diet. If you want to feel inspired to push yourself and employees to their fullest, contact Rob Paylor.
Inspiring, moving, and brilliant. Those are just three of the words used to describe Rob Paylor’s moving keynote delivered as a fireside chat at our company virtual company kickoff. So moving were his words around “mindset”, “the mental diet”, “gratitude”, and “resiliency” that it moved me, the CEO of the company, to tears during the interview. His story as a top collegiate championship athlete paralyzed during a game, along with the years of hard daily work to defy the doctor’s predictions is one that will move any employee, especially sales team members. HIs gentle giant spirit, manner of speech, perfect pauses, modulation, the tone was the icing on the cake. As a professional keynote speaker myself, I can say, he is one of the best speakers I have had the pleasure of seeing on stage. A key takeaway for me was his practice of a clean mental diet. If you want to feel inspired to push yourself and employees to their fullest, contact Rob Paylor.