Jake Bailey caused a global sensation when he delivered a very moving speech from his wheelchair as Head Boy at Christchurch Boys High School’s prize giving ceremony in November 2015.
A week before he was due to deliver this speech he fell ill and was diagnosed with Burkett’s non-Hodgkinson lymphoma, the fastest growing cancer known to man, and given three weeks to live if this was left untreated. He persevered through to make his speech to his school, and the video of this went on to touch the hearts of millions and drew support from across the globe.
Jake's quote from this speech was voted Massey Universities quote of the year 2015, with a resounding 77% lead - "Here's the thing, none of us get out of life alive, so be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful for the opportunities you have."
Jake has been in remission since January 2016 and has gone on to share his experiences, his story, and the things he has learnt that have given him clarity throughout his journey, in the hopes of helping others facing difficulties.
He has presented several hundred speeches across dozens of cities, to tens of thousands of people - for audiences of 3 people and audiences of 3,000 people, aged from 8 to 80 years old.
As a speaker, Jake presents a heart-warming, up lifting address that will leave a lasting impression on your audience! Despite Jake's story, the main subject is not cancer, but rather any hardship people may face in life, and it has helped many people reconcile their own experiences with all variety of adversity. He tells the full story, the lessons he has learnt, how it has changed his outlook on life, the benefit that these changes have bought him, and how others can implement them in their own lives on a daily basis.
He is the author of the #1 Bestselling book, What Cancer Taught Me, a weekly columnist for the NZ Herald, and the subject of the documentary ‘The Common Touch’. He is also an official ambassador for two charities- Maia Health Foundation in New Zealand, and Tour de Cure in Australia, and is incredibly passionate about these organisations and the differences they make.
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Jake Baileys Famous Speech the 2015 Christchurch Boys' High School Prize Giving
Jake Bailey caused a global sensation when he delivered a very moving speech from his wheelchair as Head Boy at Christchurch Boys High School’s prize giving ceremony in November 2015. "Here's the thing, none of us get out of life alive, so be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful for the opportunities you have."Jake Bailey Speaking at Tour de Cure Snow Ball 2016
Jake Bailey caused a global sensation when he delivered a very moving speech from his wheelchair as Head Boy at Christchurch Boys High School’s prize giving ceremony in November 2015.Jake was down to earth and very accommodating prior and after the speaking engagement. Jake is a very likable guy, went out of his way for us as an organization but also on the night with th ... keep reading Nelson Cancer Society
