Octagon Speakers

• Denise Austin
• Dean Edell
• Sarah Ferguson
• Cindy Garrison
• Bob Greene
• Chuck Leavell
• Jeanette Lee
• Martina Navratilova
• Debbie Phelps
• Rick Reilly
• Jimmy Roberts
• Joe Simpson

Denise Austin

America’s Favorite Fitness Expert

Denise Austin promotes a sensible, realistic, and enthusiastic approach to fitness and eating. She works out only 30 minutes a day and never skips a meal! Her health and fitness philosophies have won her countless fans throughout the United States, from whom she receives more than 10,000 letters and emails a week.  When you watch Denise on television, read her books, or follow her videos, you can't help feeling like she's there with you cheering you on.  Denise has been named America's favorite fitness expert.  She gets the energy to tackle challenges and achieve her success from the gratification of knowing she makes a difference in people's lives and inspires them to feel better about themselves.

Dean Edell

"America's Doctor," bestselling author, and radio talk show host

Dr. Dean Edell, one of the first physician broadcasters in the nation, is the host of America's second most popular syndicated radio talk show, The Dr. Dean Edell Show, heard in more than 400 radio stations, as well as the anchor of Medical Minutes, a series of ten weekly radio medical reports. He is also the host of the daily 90-second Medical Report seen in 75 television markets. Dr. Edell is known for translating complicated medical information into concise, easy-to-understand reports and for tackling topics that are obscure, unusual and often controversial.

Sarah Ferguson

Duchess of York

An international personality, successful career woman and single working mother, Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, is an inspiring role model whose extraordinary life is a testament to the powers of faith, resolve and resiliency. Against the backdrop of celebrity and privilege, Ferguson speaks candidly about her perils on the world stage and about her journey from near-ruin to reinvention and redemption.

Cindy Garrison

An accomplished outdoorswoman and host of “Get Wild with Cindy Garrison” on ESPN2

Cindy has been an avid outdoorswoman her entire life and has experienced more in her 34 years than most people will in a lifetime.  Garrison gives audiences the ability to see an environment that many could never see through her spirit and enthusiasm about her adventures in the wild.  In 1994, Cindy moved to Alaska with $80 in her pocket and used her creativity to become a fly fishing guide.  She founded Garrison Adventures International in 1997, specializing in booking travel to fishing, hunting, and skiing destinations worldwide.  Starting in 1998 she managed the largest hunting safari operator in Botswana, Africa.  She then founded Safari Anglers, guiding anglers in pursuit of Africa’s famed Tiger Fish.  She still runs the company today and was discovered by ESPN when she was exhibiting Safari Anglers in the states.  Cindy was asked to be the host of ESPN’s In Search of Fly Water in 2004 before she landed the roll of her own show.  She...

Bob Greene

Oprah’s Fitness Guru

Coined the nickname “fitness guru,” Bob Greene has made it a mission since he was a child, to encourage people to live a healthier lifestyle by eating healthfully and exercising.  Greene is a certified personal trainer and exercise physiologist who specializes in fitness, metabolism, and weight loss.  Greene has authored over ten health and fitness books.  A frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he also has a radio show on the "Oprah and Friends" satellite radio network and is a contributor to O magazine.  “It’s my goal to help as many people as possible commit to a healthier-and-happier lifestyle.” - Bob

Chuck Leavell

Renowned Musician, Environmentalist and Author

Chuck Leavell is a man of many talents.  Leavell is known as one of pop music’s most respected and sought-after pianists, a devoted husband and father, and a modest man who has a knack for taking his talents to the right places at the right times.  In addition to his musical expertise, Leavell is now known as a respected author having penned a book on forestry and conservation as well as one of the most sought after keynote speakers around.  Leavell takes his passion to the streets giving speeches to a variety of groups and also spends his time in Washington, DC meeting with committees, environmental officials and government officials to help shape policy and to promote sound forestry management practices in America. Leavell continues to tour and record and manages plenty of time in to work on his beloved plantation

Jeanette Lee

Professional Billiards Player

Jeanette Lee is arguably the most recognizable billiards player in the world and was deamed "The Black Widow'' early in her career for the way she dominates her competition and plays in all black attire. Lee has been slated the winner of 17 WPBA titles and is known for her philanthropic endeavors. Lee has the ability to be a marketer's dream, as she attended over 25 corporate events in 2005. She has the talent and discipline to run a tournament under her own focus, as well as reach out to the community with her charitable contributions and appearances. She has her own downloadable video game for cell phones, has toured U.S. military bases in Europe to teach them more about the game, has her own DVD animated feature, hosted a TV pilot, and was seen on ESPN and ESPN2 for more than forty hours in 2004. Lee's strong will allows her to do it all, but is still down-to-earth and loves to help others in any way possible. "An absolute show stopper. She was the star at our U. S. Open party...

Martina Navratilova

International Tennis Star

Martina Navratilova is one of the greatest players ever to step onto a tennis court. Even as she's pushing 50, she's able to compete against women many years younger. She came out of retirement to play doubles in 2000 and was back on the court and in better shape than ever. On her way to retirement in September, she picked up some grand slam titles and capped off her career by winning her 59th title by winning the mixed doubles final at the U.S. Open. These days, Navratilova is inspiring awe not only for her tennis, but for her amazing physical condition. She shares her diet and fitness secrets in her book called "Shape Your Self." "I was asked so many times by friends and media, how do I do it. And I realized I knew a lot more than I thought I did, and I really wanted to share and help people with that knowledge," she told co-anchor Harry Smith on the CBS program, The Early Show. "I've lived this for close to 30 years." Aside from looking great and feeling great, Navratilova...

Debbie Phelps

Gold Medal Mom

Not your typical mother of three children, Debbie Phelps has juggled between raising her children, teaching, and social service work. She is recognized as an innovative, energetic, talented leader and master teacher with nearly three decades of education experience. She co-chairs and has participated in public service announcements for the “One Campaign” for the Harford County Boys and Girls Clubs of America. During her teaching career in both counties she held many responsibilities including, but not limited to, the following: department chair, team leader, acting content leader, and co-coordinator of a Summer Institute. Watching Debbie live through the excitement of Michael's eight gold medal races in the 2008 Beijing Olympics quickly became "must-see TV."  She exemplified what every American was feeling as Michael captured a piece of Olympic history.  JOHNSON'S ® Baby recognized Debbie's devotion to her children by naming her "Mom of the Olympic Game." Debbie has also...

Rick Reilly

Columnist for ESPN and best-selling author

The New York Daily News called Rick Reilly "one of the funniest humans on the planet" and Publishers Weekly called him, "an indescribable amalgam of Dave Barry, Jim Murray, and Lewis Grizzard, with the timing of Jay Leno and the wit of Johnny Carson." Rick Reilly is a columnist for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN.com, and contributes to "ESPN SportsCenter" and ABC-TV's golf coverage on a regular basis.  He has been voted National Sportswriter of the Year nine times and  he has also written New York Times bestsellers including his latest; Who's Your Caddy?: Looping for the Great, Near Great, and Reprobates of Golf.

Jimmy Roberts

Emmy award-winning sports journalist

Jimmy Roberts, a 13-time Emmy Award Winner, contributed a series of nightly features known as the GM "Olympic Moments" during NBC's coverage of the 2004 Athens Games.  Known for his abilities as a journalist and for his rapport with the game's top players, Roberts also serves as NBC Sports' interviewer and essayist on its golf coverage. Roberts is a brilliant wordsmith and a skilled interviewer.

Joe Simpson

Mountaineer, Author of the bestseller “Touching the Void”

Joe Simpson's miraculous story has become one of the all time classics of survival and overcoming adversity, hailed as an account of psychological, even philosophical witness of the rarest compulsion. His incredible story of human spirit and the will to survive has been captured by Oscar-winning director, Kevin Macdonald, in a docudrama movie based on Simpson's bestselling book, ' Touching the Void' .  You need no special knowledge of mountain climbing to understand the many inspirational messages to be found in the telling of this powerful human drama.  It is a triumph of the human spirit, the immense instinct to survive and the innate strength we have within us to succeed.