Rob Dyke

Rob Dyke is exceptional in that he has lived a life like no other. His distinctive message sends his audience away confident that no dream is impossible, no task too difficult and no barrier too challenging to overcome. He is an ordinary man that consistently does extraordinary things—he is unique.

Rob spent 8 years studying Economics and Kinesiology at University of Victoria where he was a successful scholar/ athlete. He was a competitive swimmer, a cyclist and then a triathlete, moving from Olympic-distance triathlons to Ironman. The real Rob Dyke emerged when a fellow distance-swimmer was unable to attempt a first-ever swim on the ferry route from Vancouver to Victoria. The swim was a fund-raiser for a local children's hospital and with almost no training, Rob said ‘yes’, stepped in and gave it his best. He was pulled from the water semi-conscious, arms still flailing away trying to complete the swim. He treated this as a learning experience and the follow- ing year, became the first person to complete the 52 k swim.

In 2003, Rob and his friend Ian walked and cycled across India and Nepal (1400km), where Ian climbed within 300 meters of the summit of Everest and then returned in time for Rob to attempt the 1000-mile swim around Vancouver Island. Rob had to withdraw from 2/3 of the way into his exploit due to a severe shoulder injury caused by the rough waters around Brooks Peninsula. In 2005, he returned to Everest to climb and clear his head for the renewal of his around-the-island journey: that summer, he made his second attempt at the almost impossible swim around Vancouver Island and completed it successfully in 3 months of almost daily immersion. Today, Rob is a successful business owner and a family man, and his uniqueness continues to be apparent in his visionary projects and his courageous battle with cancer.

Presentations

Finding your “First”

During our younger years we experience many ‘firsts’. First bicycle ride, first steps, first kiss, first car, first job, first marriage, to name a few. Many of the early ‘firsts’ are positive and enhance our lives, but as we age, more of these ‘firsts’ become negative. We might have to deal with first failure in an exam, first divorce, first loss of a job, first weight gain, first heart attack, first diabetes, all ‘firsts’ we would rather avoid. In this presentation, Rob explores how a successful life can be structured so that positive ‘firsts’ keep showing up while the days and decades accumulate.

Leadership and Change

A leader is an ordinary person who does extraordinary things - he or she unites a group in pursuit of a common goal, inspires them to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. There is a leader in all of us but it often disappears under layers of caution and hides behind fea—fear of failure, fear of disappointment, and fear of embarrassment in our ever-changing environment. In this presentation, Rob shares his various experiences as a leader co-heading climbing expeditions, directing projects for various organizations including the Red Cross and more recently, as the CEO of a cutting -edge company. He discusses how we create our own obstacles and hindrances, and the importance of the positive power of change. Rob explains the pathways he has taken to overcome various leadership challenges and discusses how to chart your own course toward becoming the effective leader you would like to be.

Just say “Yes”

If life gives you lemons, make grape juice and stand back as the world watches in amazement, wondering how you did it! In this dynamic and witty presentation, Rob introduces a way of approaching problems with a positive and creative perspective. Rob uses stunning visuals and fascinating stories to talk about real-life situations and to explore how each seeming failure can be turned into a success by keeping a ‘yes’ outlook.