Heart and double-lung transplant recipient who became a 4-time marathon runner, inspiring audiences to overcome limits and build true resilience.
5.00 of 5
Top rated!5 of 5
“Your talk set the bar for the rest of the day! It was a masterclass in storytelling and keeping the audience engaged from beginning to end. Even though it made my heart ache, it lived my spirits and encouraged me no end. Thank you!!!”
Teri Kingston
TEDx Coach
Mark Black delivers a story that immediately captures attention and stays with audiences long after the event ends. Born with a life-threatening heart defect, he spent his childhood facing surgeries, uncertainty, and physical limitations. At twenty-two, Mark was told his heart was failing and that without a rare heart and double-lung transplant he would not live to see his 25th birthday. The transplant in 2002 saved his life. What happened next transformed it. Less than three years later, Mark became the only man in history to run a marathon with someone else’s heart and lungs. He went on to complete three more marathons, proving that limits are often far different from what we believe.
When audiences hear Mark Black speak, they quickly realize they are witnessing resilience in its most authentic form.
Mark was born with a serious heart defect that required two open-heart surgeries before his first birthday. Doctors worked tirelessly to stabilize his condition, yet his childhood was shaped by hospital visits, medical restrictions, and the awareness that his heart was fragile.
Despite these challenges, Mark pushed forward with determination. He learned early that life rarely unfolds exactly as planned, yet attitude and perseverance can change the outcome.
At the age of twenty-two, Mark faced the most devastating news of his life. His doctor explained that his heart was failing. Without a heart and double-lung transplant, he would not survive long enough to celebrate his 25th birthday.
The situation was urgent and uncertain. A transplant of that scale is rare and extremely risky. Mark’s future depended on the generosity of a donor and the skill of a medical team willing to attempt the procedure.
In 2002, that life-saving donor was found.
The transplant surgery saved Mark’s life. Yet survival was only the beginning of a much larger journey.
Recovery required discipline, patience, and relentless determination. Mark had to rebuild strength in a body that had endured years of illness and a complex transplant operation.
Step by step, progress followed.
What began as simple movement soon turned into running. What began as running evolved into an extraordinary goal.
Less than three years after receiving his new heart and lungs, Mark achieved something that had never been done before. He completed a full marathon with transplanted heart and lungs.
Then he did it again. And again. And again.
Today Mark holds a remarkable distinction: he is the only heart and double-lung transplant recipient in history to complete four marathons. His story stands as a powerful reminder that limits are often far different from what they appear to be.
Mark’s experiences shaped his life’s work.
Rather than keeping his story to himself, he chose to share the lessons behind it. Those lessons go far beyond medical survival. They address the mental strength required to move forward when circumstances feel overwhelming.
As a resilience expert and coach, Mark helps audiences understand how people respond to pressure, setbacks, and uncertainty. His presentations focus on practical strategies that empower individuals and teams to keep moving forward during challenging moments.
Audiences gain insight into:
Mark’s message resonates with organizations navigating demanding environments, rapid change, and high expectations.
Mark Black’s powerful story is matched by professional speaking expertise.
He holds the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, a recognition earned by fewer than 800 speakers worldwide. This distinction reflects a high level of professionalism, speaking experience, and consistent client satisfaction.
Throughout his career, Mark has delivered more than 850 presentations and inspired over 175,000 audience members.
Organizations invite Mark to speak because his message connects on both an emotional and practical level. His presentations combine powerful storytelling with clear, actionable ideas that audiences can immediately apply.
Mark has worked with global brands including ExxonMobil and Mercedes-Benz, as well as national and regional associations seeking a speaker who can energize and motivate their audience.
Event organizers searching for a keynote speaker who delivers inspiration with substance often choose Mark Black.
His story captures attention from the first moment. Audiences quickly become immersed in the journey of a young man who was told he would not live past twenty-five, yet went on to run four marathons with transplanted organs.
Beyond the story lies a deeper message about resilience, perseverance, and human potential.
Mark’s presentations help audiences reflect on their own perceived limits and reconsider what is possible when determination and mindset work together.
Participants leave with renewed energy, practical strategies for handling adversity, and a powerful reminder that resilience can be developed by anyone.
For audiences around the world, Mark Black represents something rare: a speaker whose message is built on lived experience, extraordinary perseverance, and a belief that resilience can transform the way people face life’s toughest challenges.
5 of 5
“Your talk set the bar for the rest of the day! It was a masterclass in storytelling and keeping the audience engaged from beginning to end. Even though it made my heart ache, it lived my spirits and encouraged me no end. Thank you!!!”
Teri Kingston TEDx Coach
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark’s story exceeded the expectations of the conference attendees. One quote best sums it up: ‘Keynote speaker was excellent, not just the delivery and topic but in providing takeaways for us to consider in our work.’”
David Green Past President, BC Association of School Board Officials
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark’s presentation is very motivational but also gives solid tips on how to re-think and change the course of your life.”
Margaret Hanlon-Bell CEO, Saegis
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Fantastic Presentation today! That was exactly what we needed to hear.”
Josanne Landry President, College of Massage Therapists of NB
Mark Black
5 of 5
“I loved Mark’s storytelling. It is so important to remember we have the power to make a change, no matter how big or small. We are resilient. Mark showed us that it is up to all of us to take action; live with what we cannot change and not dwell on it; so we focus on what we can. I will remind my work team of this whenever they go down the path of complaining.”
Jennier Mills Senior Manager, Reckitt Consumer Products
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Wow, your closing keynote at our annual conference was a big hit! As I said at the event after you spoke, the standing ovation you received is unprecedented; firefighters don't stand up for anyone. The fact that they did for you, speaks volumes.”
Conrad Landry President, Atlantic Firefighters Association
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark Black’s message has opened my eyes to begin to look at the potential that lies within myself.”
Derek Yeagley Director of Patient Experience, Allen Parish Community Healthcare
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Phenomenal presenter, with an equally phenomenal story. Take one more step.”
Ally David PCU Nurse, HCA Healthcare
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Phenomenal presenter, with an equally phenomenal story. Take one more step.”
Andrew Lewis CEO, Conflict Solutions
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Phenomenal presenter, with an equally phenomenal story. Take one more step.”
Jaqueline Dvorak Occupational Therapy, Edwards County Medical Center
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark’s presentation inspires productivity, leadership, and self-esteem. His presentation has given me tools to cope with difficult situations and renew my own outlook on the future.”
Amy McAdam Audit Manager, Canada Revenue Agency
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Your presentation was world-class. Your poise, professionalism, and excellent presentation skills, modelled the qualities we all strive to emulate. Your content was practical and spot-on for our turbulent times.”
Michael Hughes Board Member, CAPS Ottawa
Mark Black
5 of 5
“When I reflect on Mark’s presentation, the first thing that comes to mind is how much I felt both connected and inspired by his words. I left there feeling reinforced and ready to make positive changes in my life!”
Pamela Galley Board Member, International Assc of Admin Professionals
Mark Black
5 of 5
“From the moment you took the stage, you captured our attention and imagination. The strategies you shared and the connections you made with our people ensured that your presentation will have an impact that goes far beyond the day you spent with us.”
Michael Goldrup Director of Human Resources, City of Kitchener
Mark Black
5 of 5
“The presentation was awesome. There was a lot of great content that I will remember. One key message that stuck with me was that our proudest accomplishments are often our most difficult. Taking things one step at a time leads to transformation and starting with “Now what?” is the best way to take that first step.”
Brian Schryer President, Kent & White Insurance
Mark Black
5 of 5
“I have attended past retreats, and I have never seen the team so upbeat, so positive, and so engaged. Mark’s presentation style and the strategies he shared, created an environment of positivity, encouragement, and energetic collaboration. It was exactly what the team needed.”
Stephanie Howes Associate Dean, BC Institute of Technology
Mark Black
5 of 5
“The whole team was really inspired and energized by your speech. Your message, and the way in which you delivered it, touched exactly the right nerves.”
Marteen Bilj Managing Director, Trouw Nutrition North America
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Thank you so much for your time with our team this morning. I have to tell you, the session inspired me and those I spoke to, told me they really benefited from the session. I am so grateful to have heard your story!”
Jennifer Williams President and CEO, NL and Labrador Hydro
Mark Black
5 of 5
“You hit a homerun!”
Julien LeBlanc President, Blueprint North America
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Thank you for an outstanding message to your team today!”
Jason Downey Senior Vice President, IG Wealth Management
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Oh my gosh, what a great start to our day! Mark really connected with our audience. As he was telling his story, he was relating it to us and what we're doing as an organization. Mark's program was full of takeaways.”
Sue Smith CEO & Registrar, Nova Scotia College Nursing
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Thanks again for your participation in our meeting. We had so many positive comments from folks afterwards. You very much hit the mark. Our CEO said ‘Mark Black was amazing. He was so relevant to us.’”
Gail Collins VP People and Corporate Affairs, NL & Labrador Hydro
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark's presentation was highly impactful both from a personal and professional lens. The personal journey he shared with the audience highlighted the importance of being resilient in times of change; facing the challenges and adversities head-on, and understanding what is truly within your control and letting go of what's not in your control.”
Huong Yau Senior HR Consultant, TC Energy
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark delivered the best hour of the year for us. His ability to connect through his extraordinary personal experience was amazing. His message on the power of a positive mindset in the face of adversity, challenge, and change both energized and inspired our employees to break through barriers at work and in their personal lives.”
Michael Mosher President and CEO, Fortis Alberta
Mark Black
5 of 5
“It was amazing to have you kick us off today with a message that resonated so well. I actually had one advisor who had sent in a complaint about an underwriting process to me yesterday, send a retraction and apology today. He said he has to focus on what he gets to do, not what he has to do. Excellence in action!”
Duane Zappitelli Vice President, Faithlife Financial
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark connects with the audience on a very personal level and gives them tools to build resiliency in their lives and businesses. From an event planner standpoint, Mark was an absolute pleasure to work with; kind, responsive, easy-going and willing to deliver to make sure our meeting was a success. Mark is the real deal and can take your event to the next level.”
Jacki Hallerbach Executive Director, WIN Nevada
Mark Black
5 of 5
“The resilience roadmap was an exceptionally clear infographic and Mark contextualized the elements masterfully. It was exactly what we needed to hear. Few speakers are this concise with constructs or contextualize as Mark did. He left us with tools that could be practically applied to our world. This was one of the better virtual sessions I’ve attended.”
Casey Hutchinson Chief Operating Officer, Tacada
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Thank you Mark! The feedback on your program was very good. We wove messages from it into several of the panels over the following day and our leaders left saying they felt very empowered.”
Karen Birss Regional Vice President, Scotiabank
Mark Black
5 of 5
“We received great feedback on Mark’s keynote. Many said the message of persevering hit home and they walked away with some good tactics to take into their day-to-day. Please let Mark know what a wonderful job he did.”
Jackie McCulloch Marketing Manager, Atlas Van Lines
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Wow!!! What an inspirational closing keynote! You had the audience in the palm of your hand every moment of your brilliant stories and left them with practical, insightful, ideas to improve their lives and their careers… and it was so authentic. Thanks so much, from the bottom of my heart.”
Brian Lee CEO, Custom Learning Systems
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark was simply perfection. I liked everything about his presentation, but what I liked most is that he's got heart. He has a passion to pass on what he has learned from what he's been through. Amazing!”
Crystal Bise Director of Industry Relations, Hawaii Association of Realtors
Mark Black
5 of 5
“It was a pleasure to work with Mark as the opening keynote for a conference I emceed. Mark was professional, patient, flexible, and brought such a powerful message to inspire the audience. His message was so clear that I was able to weave his key points throughout the rest of the conference and tie in the rest of the presentations to his overarching theme. I highly recommend Mark as a keynote for your next conference!”
Jan Spence CEO, Jan Spence and Associates
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark has a very relevant message for today. His life is an example of one well lived. It is clear he lives his message of resilience every day. I would highly recommend Mark to speak at your next event!”
Aubrey Kirkpatrick Board of Directors, Association of School Board Officials Int'l
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark's event was not a university lecture or a presentation. His talk was deeply personal and akin to storytelling around a campfire where the listeners' attention is hooked from the beginning and maintained til the very end. Inspirational and relevant for everyone during these challenging times.”
Bernard Fafard Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Farm Credit Canada
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark's message really resonated with our audience. The need for resilience is universal and so Mark's resilience framework and his story apply to a wide variety of audiences. Anyone who decides to book Mark for their event will see a great benefit.”
Dr. Denis LeBlanc Founder and CEO, Avenir Hearing
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark is a gifted storyteller. He uses life lessons to illustrate how we can change and adapt our behaviour in the presence of change and what can feel like defeat. The Resilience Roadmap Framework is a great tool and Mark's stories made it come to life and stick.”
Andrea Kuronen Director of People, Purefacts Financial
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark has a gift of storytelling and a remarkable story that the entire world needs to hear. I had the honor of introducing Mark as the closing keynote speaker at the Hawaii Association of Realtors. I would highly recommend Mark as he is definitely a speaker with great stories, principles, and lessons that will leave you feeling inspired indefinitely.”
Dennis Kim Business Development Executive, First American Title
Mark Black
5 of 5
“The City of Kitchener had the great privilege of working with Mark as the keynote speaker at our largest annual staff event, The Main Event. Mark's delivery was heartfelt, humorous and passionate. We continue to hear from staff about how Mark motivated them and how a positive outlook and perseverance can make all the difference at work and in our personal lives.”
Tami Turner Manager of Employee Services, City of Kitchener
Mark Black
5 of 5
“In my executive leadership role with the Red Cross, I have attended many conferences, and I have heard many, many speakers. I can honestly say that Mark Black was among the best speakers I have ever seen.”
Darrin Greenlee Vice President, American Red Cross
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Our primary objective was to ignite meaning for our people in their everyday work. Simply hearing Mark’s story would have done that, but the fact that he made the effort to draw the connections between his experience and the message we wanted to convey took the program to another level!”
Dan Fougere National Sales Manager, Astrazeneca
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark is a great speaker who is able to connect with his audience. His story is very inspiring, and his roadmap is very easy to follow and effective!”
Shawn MacDonald District Vice President, TD Bank
Mark Black
5 of 5
"Mark’s insights, drawn from his thoughtful life analysis, resonate far beyond his own experience. They serve as a reminder of the value in examining, learning from, and growing through every chapter we encounter."
Francesco Calazzo Director General - Economic Development, Southeast Regional Service Commission
Mark Black
5 of 5
"We booked Mark Black for our virtual conference because we wanted to give our members the tools to be more resilient in the challenging times we work in. Mark was highly effective at engaging with people virtually, and the feedback we received was glowing.”
Emma Girduckis Event Producer, Canadian Association of Society Executives
Mark Black
5 of 5
"Mark's impact on our conference was profound. His passionate delivery captured our group's attention from the beginning and held it throughout the entire session. Mark's focus on adaptability in the face of change resonated deeply with all of us. My team and I found ourselves integrating his advice immediately following the session."
Saleem Dhala CEO, Safecare BC
Mark Black
5 of 5
“It was a GREAT talk, and I thoroughly enjoyed Mark’s keynote. Resilience is a choice. It isn’t always easy — but that’s okay. Overcoming the challenges that present themselves in our personal or professional lives is possible when we shorten ‘the gap’ from ‘oh no’ to ‘now what’… That was a very powerful message, and I look forward to shortening my gap!”
Laura Lundquist Learning Champion, EO Atlantic
Mark Black
5 of 5
"Mark Black was the perfect closing keynote speaker for our event. His energetic presentation style captivated our audience immediately, and for the next hour, he took us on a journey of adversity, self-discovery, rejuvenation, and resilience. Mark’s ability to break down his own experience into a tangible roadmap to guide others on their own resilience journey is inspired. A true professional in his craft, Mark wove humour with heavy material to create an environment of connectedness, joy, gratitude, and inspiration. It would be an absolute pleasure to see Mark on stage again — he was incredible."
Suzanne Young Conference Chair, Spark Women's Leadership Conference
Mark Black
5 of 5
"I had the good fortune of meeting Mark over the course of several days at our YPO conference. Mark’s story is incredible, and his insights and coaching are spot-on. The personal impact was immediate. I’m pleased to provide a strong recommendation to include Mark in your plans for your next conference."
Peter Porteous President, YPO Atlantic
Mark Black
5 of 5
""Mark's messaging around challenges and resilience was so valuable. He gives practical strategies that everyone can implement in times of change and challenge. His story is inspiring, and he tells it in a way that allows the audience to put themselves in his shoes. There were laughs, and a few tears, along the way. I know that my team all left that presentation feeling positive and empowered."
Lindsay Paulin People Business Partner, Labatt Brewing Company
Mark Black
5 of 5
Mark has a gift for making people in the audience feel like you are speaking right to them"
Michele Fry Director of Marketing and Communications, BC Forest Safety Council
Mark Black
5 of 5
“Mark was an amazing speaker, and his material is very relevant in today’s world. I can’t wait to read his book!”
Christine Roy-Careau Director of People and Culture, GoToInsure
Mark Black
5 of 5
"Amazing! Engaging. Thoughtful. Best part of the day."
Grant Koughan Business Development Manager, Vroom Crew Mobile Car Services
Mark Black
5 of 5
"The most insightful talk I have ever listened to!"
Matthew Berrigan Business Development Officer, Invest Nova Scotia
Mark Black
5 of 5
"I heard nothing but great reviews last night and had several people approach me this morning, telling me how much they enjoyed the presentation. You hit it out of the park! Thank you. I knew you would be great."
Tom Watson Executive Director, Recreation Foundation of BC
Mark Black
5 of 5
"I wanted to officially thank you for delivering such a high-impact session at our National Meeting! Across our four days of meetings, our team consistently referred to the session, the learning, and the inspiration they got from you! Really well done — you are an amazing speaker who connects with the audience."
Olivier Meunier Business Unit Head, Neuroscience, Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Mark Black
5 of 5
"When Mark came on stage, he immediately connected with the audience. It was amazing to see how people truly listened to what he had to say. Mark Black is THE keynote speaker you need for your next event."
Yvan Laviolette Commercial Sales, MercedesBenz
Mark Black
5 of 5
"Mark provided exactly what we wanted our people to hear. Since he spoke to us, I have heard from our management team about how powerful Mark's content was for their people."
Kevin McKellar Global Culture, Advisor Exxon Mobil
Mark Black
Keynote by Mark Black:
Keynote by Mark Black:
Keynote by Mark Black:
Keynote by Mark Black:
Watch Mark Black in action
Watch Mark Black in action!
