Speakers
Meet the mates.
A celebrity cardiologist, a snooze-savvy sleep scientist, a swamp-trekking Kokoda Kid and a sports psychologist to the stars who is really Australia’s most convincing corporate impostor. Between them: decades of expertise, thousands of stages and one shared belief that laughter is good medicine.
Sleep expert · PhD
Dr Jemma King
Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on sleep, and a leading expert in stress, recovery and human performance.
That makes her ideally qualified to explain why most of us are exhausted, stressed, making questionable decisions and somehow believe that “catching up on sleep” is a legitimate weekend strategy.
With a PhD in Human Behaviour, Jemma has worked with Olympic athletes, Special Forces, the Australian Defence Force, senior executives and some of the world’s leading organisations. She is a Fellow at the University of Queensland School of Psychology and the author of the bestselling Sleep First. She has also been a model, managed a nightclub in Moscow and worked as a stunt double in Police Academy 7, so she understands both peak performance and surviving the night shift.
Session 1 · 1:10pm
The Science of Sleep, Recovery & Sustainable High Performance
- Sleep isn’t laziness. It’s maintenance for the brain.
- Stress sharpens performance, until it becomes your permanent operating system
- Recovery isn’t weakness. Even Olympians and Special Forces recharge.
- High performance is about knowing when to push, when to pause and how to come back stronger
The Kokoda Kid
Aidan Grimes
Philanthropist, historian, sports scientist, physiologist, psychotherapist and self-described mediocre Irish humorist.
Aidan has led more groups across the Kokoda Track than any other “nutter” in the world, and he’s still doing it. In a seriously funny way, he speaks about what matters to everyone living in regional communities. He believes everyone is a leader in their own life, family and business.
Session 2 · 1:55pm
Forged on Kokoda: Leadership, Resilience & Human Performance Under Pressure
- Building harmonious families and teams, with lessons from the military and the Kokoda Track
- Thriving under pressure and uncertainty, and building real mental toughness
- Preventing burnout with daily habits for clarity, energy and emotional strength
- Creating workplaces and families where people feel safe to speak up
Sports Psychologist to the Stars
Dr Tony Valenti
Really Homer Papantonio, The Corporate Impostor: Australia’s leading comic speechmaker, with more than 1,200 national and international conferences behind him.
Homer has a knack for making complex topics accessible and very entertaining, often before the audience realises who he really is. At MATESHIP MATTERS! he appears throughout as Dr Tony Valenti, Sports Psychologist to the Stars.
His keynote explains, in a highly entertaining and topical fashion, why performance, health and happiness are grounded in the skilful management of energy. It covers confidence in embracing change, realistic optimism, avoiding constant self-blame and the importance of serious fun.
Session 3 · 3:05pm
Performance, Mindset & Mental Resilience
- Balance four kinds of energy: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
- Good habits build great energy. Poor ones quietly drain it.
- Work in sprints, not marathons
- Playfulness and humour are serious tools for health
You are the complete package… your unique presentations provide a blend of entertaining comedy which camouflages insightful and pertinent messages. Your comedic performances are brilliant.
Heart & total wellbeing expert · cardiologist · broadcaster
Dr Ross Walker
Australia’s most affable celebrity cardiologist.
A regular on The Today Show and A Current Affair, with his own national radio show, Healthy Living, Ross is a bestselling wellbeing author with a genuine passion for people and health. He is widely recognised as one of the country’s foremost keynote presenters, with a rare ability to draw clear parallels between great health and great performance.
A practising cardiologist with 45 years of medical experience, Ross is the quintessential geek on ageing, nutrition, supplements, health and human performance. He debunks the myths and hype of modern health and gives people the facts they actually need.
Session 4 · 3:50pm
The Heart of Total Wellbeing & Performance
- You can’t be healthy and smoke, drink too much or use illegal drugs
- The quality of your day depends on the quality of last night’s sleep
- If you can grow it or catch it, it’s good for you. After that, all bets are off.
- Three to five hours a week of exercise that makes you hot and a bit short of breath
- The best drug on the planet is happiness. Ask “how may I serve?”
An outstanding presenter in every which way. Dr Walker is articulate, intelligent and humorous, with great visuals to support his presentation.
Session 5 · 4:35pm · All four speakers
Live Q&A: Ask the Experts
All four speakers come together on stage for 25 minutes of audience questions on mental, physical and emotional health. Nothing is off limits, except perhaps Aidan’s jokes.