"Sam Livingstone was invaluable to our team. She challenged us to dive deep and explore who we are as individuals and as a team. Sam's open and approachable demeanor allowed us to be our true selves, and to engage in important conversations. Sam is not only relatable and engaging, but is also incredibly empathetic to the challenges of the modern-day athlete. We are so thankful to have Sam as a resource moving forward."

- Alice Lee | Head Coach, Williams College Lacrosse

"Often times it is difficult to connect with teenage audiences. During Samantha's "Dreams Come True" presentation at the Bay State Games, I looked at the audience and not one teenager was on their phone. They were listening so intently to her. Samantha's story is a must hear for any athlete, coach, and parent!

I've had the opportunity to work with, and listen to, many guest speakers. It is clear that Samantha loves what she does and her connection to the athletes is genuine.

I'm so happy we are able to connect with Samantha and have her talk to our athletes about her journey from competing in the Bay State Games, as a high school athlete, to winning an Olympic gold medal! Samantha was so easy to work with and very accommodating to meet as many athletes as possible."

- Peter LeClerc | Director of Sports and Operations at Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation (Bay State Games)

Click here to book samantha for your next event

Sample Speaking topics:

Why Winning Gold Wasn't Enough

With social media at our fingertips, it is easy to get swallowed up by the stories we tell ourselves. It's easy to think that everyone has it all together - except for you. In Why Winning Gold Wasn't Enough, Samantha candidly shares her Ten Truths in Rising that will help you challenge your limiting beliefs and edit the stories you tell yourself, redefine success and failure, and learn to embrace self-compassion and love – constructs that will build the foundation for resiliency in any arena.

In this powerful and honest presentation, Samantha takes us with her to the top of the podium and down into the rubble of life without sport - just a mere two months after winning gold. She's sifted through the rubble many times as she's successfully battled through an eating disorder, injury, depression, the transition to life without sport and PTSD - rising with strength and clarity every time. She talks candidly about her struggle with perfectionism and comparison –the underlying current of her struggles - and how letting go of both ultimately led her to experience deeper joy and fulfillment while living her dream.

Audience: General. Students. Coaches. Athletes. Professional Organizations. Conferences.

Get ready to be inspired to step into your whole truth and empowered to break free from what's been holding you back, cracking open the door to deeper, lasting joy and freedom.

The Three Pillars of High Performance: Courage. Resilience. Perseverance.

In this presentation, Samantha candidly shares why she wasn't willing to let go of perfection: she didn't want to give up achieving. And then her world was cracked wide open, exposing the lies of perfection - and how they had permeated every area of her life - including her marriage. Samantha defines high performance as high achievement and high fulfillment. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Samantha engages the audience in a discussion about success, failure, boundaries - and finding balance in a world that feels so chaotic. She shares strategies on how she was finally able to release the stranglehold of perfection that was keeping her stuck in a place of proving and not-enoughness. Samantha teaches the three pillars of high performance by weaving together her personal story with current research. Her goal is to empower the audience to go after their wildest dreams while protecting what's most important to them.

Audience: General. Students. Coaches. Athletes. Professional Organizations. Conferences.

Get ready to examine habits, labels and stories that may be keeping you stuck on the endless treadmill of achievement. Leave with an action plan that will empower you to rise with clarity - and set you free to live your life.

The Five C's of Brave Leaders

In a world where we are more connected than ever - we aren't really hearing each other, or being heard. We aren't really seeing each other, or being seen. Loneliness is the highest it's been in the history of our nation and anxiety and depression are on the rise. We are stuck in our minds. The good news: we can teach the skill set needed to authentically connect by developing our Brave Voice.

As a mother of four girls, Samantha is on a mission to inspire, empower and equip others to develop their Brave Voice. Struggle and shame are universal. When left unchallenged, they can leave painful wounds with lifelong implications that show up in the stories we tell ourselves.

As hard as we try - pain isn't something we can run from. No amount of numbing, fighting, running will penetrate the toxic undercurrents. It must be confronted. And that takes courage - to stand up and speak - even if we're standing alone, and sit down and listen.

Audience: General. Women. Mothers. Daughters. Students. Coaches. Athletes. Professional Organizations. Conferences.

Get ready to examine habits, labels and stories that are impacting how you view the world - and yourself. Leave with an action plan that will empower you to rise with clarity - and grow your Brave Voice.

Stay in Your Lane: Dreams Come True

Through the power of storytelling, Samantha brings you on a journey from a little girl wishing on a star - to the top of the Olympic podium - living proof that dreams DO come true. In this presentation, Samantha shares openly about what it really looks like to go after a dream. How it feels to stand atop the podium. And WHY you don’t need to know all the HOWS before you begin chasing down a dream. She cracks open her toolbox of skills that she acquired over the years – sharing her biggest takeaways and shedding light on which skills truly served her and which ones held her back.

Audience: General. Students. Parents. Coaches. Athletes. Professional Organizations. Conferences.

Get ready to quiet the noise and tap into what it is you really want. Discover the magic that is already inside of you - and leave feeling empowered to take action toward your dreams - big and small.

Click here to Book samantha for your upcoming event

Summer of 1992. 10 years old. Completely awestruck by Jenny Thompson. The now 12-time Olympic medalist started swimming in the town next to mine. Here she was on a world stage. Wearing an American flag on her cap. At the Olympics.

A spark was lit inside of me.

Less than a year later, I met Olympian Jill Johnson after hearing her speak. Seeing Jill in person – soaking in her words of encouragement - it was everything.

Living proof, standing in front of me, that DREAMS COME TRUE.

That night my spark transformed into a full-blown flame. I left that room – autograph in hand, dream ignited – on a mission to KNOW what it would feel like to wear the Team USA gear and to stand atop the Olympic podium.

I remember thinking – if she can do it, why can’t I?

Summer of 2000. 18 years old. It was my turn. American flag on my cap. Team USA across my chest. At the Olympics. In front of a record breaking crowd of 17,000+ and millions world-wide, I led off the 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay for Team USA. On paper, Australia was supposed to crush us by over 2 seconds – on their home turf.

But instead, we WON and broke the Olympic Record – with Jenny as our anchor.

After 8 years of wishing upon the first star I'd see at night - dreaming about that moment - it was finally mine. I stood atop the Olympic podium, gold medal draped around my neck.

A dream inspired and ignited by the words of a fellow Olympian – now reality.

Summer 2016. 34 years old. 11 years retired. Watching the Rio games with my four girls on the couch. And there she was ~ a 3-time Olympian sharing in an interview with NBC that my words inspired her to dream bigger.