The challenge before you, builds courage within you.
At the age of 23, Josh Komen was one of the fastest 800m runners in New Zealand, then in a blink of an eye, he became one of the sickest. He then had to learn to run a new race, it was a race for his life.
Josh was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, not once but twice. This diagnosis took him on a 10 year battle of deep depression, having an allogenic stem cell transplant, being put into a coma, developing graft vs host disease, pneumonia, multiple complications, treatment overseas in Australia for 5 years, plus having multiple heart attacks.
Today, 12 years after he received his deadly diagnosis, he is alive, strong, healthy and happy.
Not only did he survive but he began to thrive.
Josh reclaimed back his health, through patience, persistence and perseverance.
Josh is now married and is a father to his first child.
Life has taken Josh on an arduous path. Through his own suffering Josh has learnt so much. He understands how life can be so difficult for everyone. He shares his story and tools that have helped him through such adversity to encourage others to confront life's challenges, to seize opportunities, build resilience, learn to be comfortable in the uncomfortable, and to continue courageously with life itself.
Talking Points
Courage/ Resilience/ Strength
Life is tough, and it can change so quickly.Courage/ Resilience/ Strength
The plans that we have mapped out in our mind sometimes do not go the way we see, we need to learn to adapt and create space to see another way forward. It takes courage to zoom out and look beyond ourselves. When we are no longer able to change a certain situation, we are then forced to change ourselves, and that takes courage to do so.
Communication/ Mental Health
We all have our own challenges to overcome, and to help us overcome those challenges we need to be able to communicate them to people we trust. Once I learnt to share my own pain it was as though a weight was taken off my shoulders. This helped me go forward in a more positive and clear direction. The truth is we are not using all our strength unless we ask for help.
Communication/ Mental Health
Connection/ Relationships
Through my own arduous, chaotic, challenging life experience, I have learnt that the foundation to health lies within human relationships. Connecting with oneself and others, and holding on to love is key. Love is the fabric that holds humanity together.
Connection/ Relationships
Josh's story is so powerful, he is a warrior. His ability to fight in the biggest challenge for anyone, is for their own life. Josh's resilience and focus is truly remarkable, this sets him ... keep reading Canterbury Crusaders
We had the formidable Josh Komen feature as the Inspirational keynote at our annual SuperStart conference in February 2023. He had come highly recommended, and we knew we were in for something special, but nothing could prepare us for his incredible story he told with so much strength and candor. To see our team give Josh a standing ovation speaks volumes for how much he moved them with his journey. If you want your people to see how they can overcome unthinkable challenges, find positivity in the face of adversity, and live their best life - Josh is the man to do this.
We invited Josh to speak to the whole Highlanders Rugby Club. Josh’s personal story not only speaks to resilience, perseverance, and grit. But also gratitude, appreciation for the present moment, having trust and faith in the process and the importance of developing and maintaining a sense of identity. Through his warm and approachable style, the players particularly reported felt an instant connection with him, allowing for a very engaging and meaningful session. They reported feeling inspired, moved and grateful for this experience. Nga mihi nui Josh!
