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Mike Rolls
Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues
Mike is a survivor of one of the deadliest diseases on the planet. His story of courage, determination and pure resilience will inspire, educate and entertain!
Where were you born?
I was born and raised in the Bayside area of Melbourne in a suburb called Sandringham. I’m a Melbourne lad through and through, I love everything about this wonderful city.
What other jobs have you had?
Following my illness, I had to dedicate a number of years to rehabilitation. In 2006 my brother-in-law and I bought and ran our own health and fitness centre for 6 years.
What have been the highlights of your career?
I recently had the honour of representing Australia at the World Disabled Golf Championship where we placed 3rd out of 15 countries. Up against it on the final day of play, the team dug deep to steal third from Denmark.
I’m an ambassador for Interplast – an incredible organisation that send brilliant plastic surgeons throughout Asia to perform essential surgeries for those in need. Four of these surgeons actually operated on me throughout the years so I feel a particular connection with the amazing work they undertake.
I am also a founding member of the Limbs4Life peer support program – helping amputees adjust after significant life changes.
What are you passionate about?
My aim is to use such a brutal life experience to benefit others in a profound way. Going through such a difficult time at such a young age has taught me many valuable lessons. I am passionate about sharing these lessons with others. My main passion is golf, it calms me, fulfils me and reminds me how far I have come.
Haven’t I seen you before?
I was featured on The Project and in Golf Australia Magazine, I also recently participated as a Celebrity Ambassador in The Eureka Climb where I climbed the full 89 levels!
Testimonials
Please pass on our thanks to Mike Rolls for speaking to our Year 10 students on Wednesday. The kids were really engaged. His message was spot-on, and delivered with humour and empathy. He perfect for the occasion.
Mike spoke to all our Year 7 pupils and what a hit! He had the students totally enthralled by his stories of courage and resilience. He is a master storyteller who is a living embodiment of facing adversity and building a new life. Students flocked to him at the end and continued to ask questions. Mike’s totally honest, down-to-earth approach to life was appreciated by the students. Great feedback from staff as well.
Mike was SENSATIONAL! A big hit with everyone and had an inspirational message. The event was well attended by students from Primary, Secondary and Specialist settings and Mike’s message touched each of them. He hung around for lunch and photos and was incredibly generous with his time and in answering questions.
The day was a massive success and we would have Mike back to work with us in a flash.
The students and staff at MCC where completely engaged in Mike’s presentation. His ability to bring humour about the experiences he has been through, but also teach the students (and staff) some valuable lessons. I would 100% recommend Mike to other schools/organisations.
Our Year 12s were totally engaged with Mike, he is a great public speaker. He has an interesting story to tell, and he effectively highlights the importance of resilience.
We were fortunate enough to have Mike speak at two community gatherings. He was extremely engaging and motivational, with a delivery that had just the right amount of humour. His message in the importance of being prepared to work outside your comfort zone and abandon distraction and negativity was memorable and effective…One of the best speakers we have had.
I just wanted to let you know I much I loved today’s session with Mike. He was very engaging, inspirational and willing to tell his story to all of us. I took a lot out of today’s session and unfortunately didn’t have to time to go and thank him for it. I would 100% recommend him to talk to the Years 12s in the upcoming years as he was amazing.
The students and staff were very responsive to Mike. He ensured he was meeting our needs and produced a presentation that was excellent. Our students were on the edge of their seats during the talk. Staff have all been extremely complimentary of Mike’s presentation. We look forward to him talking to our Year 12’s next year.
Our students were engaged with Mike’s presentation and were constantly focused as he relayed his story. The honest and open anecdotes of his life experiences contained clear messages of resilience and optimism in the face of adversity. Our students took away with them amazing life lessons from an amazing, courageous person.
Mike Rolls presented his story to our students. Given that it was his first presentation at any school, his honesty and the determination to work against any odds was vividly obvious throughout his interaction with the students. He completely engaged & inspired our students. His friendly manner encouraged our students to ask questions. The best part of his presentation was his open & thought provoking discussion with students. In most presentations I have had students listening only but in Mike’s presentation, I literally had to stop the interaction as we were running overtime. The impact of his presentation lingered throughout the day.
Thanks for suggesting Mike’s Name for the presentation.
Mike delivers a powerful message of resilience, positivity, goal setting and hope, that is relevant to all students. He is an engaging speaker that is able to capture the attention of the students from the moment he is introduced. I highly recommend Mike for any year 7 to 12 program.
Mike has an ability to captivate his audience with his unique story of guts, sheer determination and courage. It’s a testament to his strength of character.
I heard Mike speak for the first time at a charity launch event recently – what an inspiring and engaging speaker!
Thank you Mike for your willingness to support our Non-for-profit organisation (Whitelion) through one of our major fundraising charity events Eureka Climb Challenge. You are a very inspirational person and to have you as our Eureka Climb Ambassador means a lot to us and the kids/young people we support.
Mike has been instrumental in the delivery of the Specialist Populations Program with the Professional Golfers Association in Victoria. This program gives professionals the tools to deliver specialist golf program’s at their facilities.