Noelle Pikus Pace
Olympic silver medalist and bestselling author inspiring leaders to turn adversity into focus, resilience, and meaningful results.
Why book Noelle Pikus Pace for your next event
- An Olympic silver medalist whose story shows how focus, resilience, and intention drive performance under pressure.
- A powerful keynote speaker who translates elite sport lessons into practical tools for leaders and teams.
- An authentic voice on setbacks and sacrifice, inspiring audiences to navigate change with clarity and purpose.
Non-binding request for Noelle Pikus Pace
Olympic Resilience, Focused Leadership, and the Power of Comebacks
Noelle Pikus Pace is an Olympic silver medalist, two-time World Champion, and one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of skeleton racing. Yet her impact reaches far beyond medals and podiums. Her career is defined by resilience, focus, and the courage to continue when the odds say stop. After a devastating accident shattered her leg and her Olympic dreams, Noelle chose perseverance over retreat. Today, she brings those hard-earned lessons to organizations worldwide, inspiring leaders and teams to transform setbacks into comebacks and stay focused on what truly matters.
Noelle Pikus Pace: From Setback to Olympic Silver
Noelle Pikus Pace’s journey to the Olympic podium is one of determination shaped through adversity. Ranked number one in the world in 2005, her Olympic dreams seemed within reach until a freak accident changed everything. A runaway bobsled struck her at the track, shattering her leg and abruptly ending her season. Doctors questioned whether she would ever compete again, let alone return to the top of her sport.
Instead of walking away, Noelle chose to rebuild. One year later, she returned stronger, becoming the first American woman to win the Skeleton World Championships. She did so by the largest margin ever recorded in the sport, a performance that redefined what resilience looks like at the highest level. This defining chapter laid the foundation for the mindset she now teaches: setbacks do not determine outcomes, focus does.
Olympic Dreams, Family, and Purpose
Noelle’s Olympic pursuit demanded more than physical strength. It required sacrifice, clarity, and unwavering belief. At the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, she competed on a sled designed and built by her husband, finishing just shy of the podium. It was a moment that tested her resolve and forced her to reassess what success truly meant.
In 2014, Noelle returned one final time, now a mother, with her family by her side. That year, she captured the Olympic silver medal, completing a journey that spanned heartbreak, persistence, and purpose. Her leap into the stands to celebrate with her husband and children was named the USOPC’s “Moment of the Games,” symbolizing what is possible when ambition and values align.
Leadership Lessons from the Ice Track
Today, Noelle Pikus Pace is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers for organizations navigating pressure, change, and uncertainty. Drawing from her experiences at the highest level of sport, she connects with corporate audiences across industries, offering practical insights on:
Staying focused when circumstances feel overwhelming
Building resilience through setbacks and uncertainty
Leading with intention rather than reaction
Aligning performance goals with personal and organizational values
Her talks are grounded, relatable, and deeply human. Noelle never presents herself as having all the answers. Instead, she shares real moments of doubt, failure, and growth, creating space for audiences to reflect on their own challenges and choices.
Beyond Sport: Author, MBA, and Mindset Coach
Outside of competition, Noelle is a bestselling author and holds an MBA, blending elite performance experience with business insight. Her first book, Focused, became a guide for individuals seeking clarity in high-pressure environments. Her upcoming second book, No Excuses, continues that mission, addressing growth and accountability in a world that demands adaptability and grit.
As a mindset coach and speaker, Noelle works with leaders and teams who want more than motivation. She delivers tools that help people perform with consistency, navigate change with confidence, and remain grounded in what matters most.
Book Noelle Pikus Pace for Your Event
When you book Noelle Pikus Pace for your event, you bring more than an Olympic story to the stage. You bring a message of focus, resilience, and purposeful leadership that resonates long after the applause fades. Her ability to translate elite sport lessons into real-world impact makes her a compelling choice for conferences, leadership summits, and corporate events seeking inspiration with substance.
Noelle’s story proves that success is rarely a straight line, and that the most meaningful victories are earned through perseverance, intention, and the courage to keep going.
Keynotes
Keynote by Noelle Pikus Pace:
WHERE YOU LOOK IS WHERE YOU GO | Creating a Resilient Mindset
On February 14, 2014, Noelle Pikus Pace crossed the finish line at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and finally earned an Olympic medal, but it wasn’t an easy road. She learned through her trials the importance of setting specific goals every day to move forward. After a terrible crash in Germany, she realized the importance of eliminating doubts, fears, and worries from our lives and that “Where You Look is Where You Go.”
Noelle will inspire you, make you laugh, and win you over as she shares her journey and applies it to life.
Audience Takeaways:
- Understand the difference between a fixed and growth mindset and how to shift into one that drives progress.
- Identify and challenge negative thought patterns that limit personal and professional potential.
- Learn how focus shapes outcomes: “Where you look is where you go.”
- Discover how creating life balance strengthens clarity, resilience, and performance.
- Gain tools to build vision, direction, and confidence through real-life stories of adversity and triumph.
Keynote by Noelle Pikus Pace:
YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE | Overcoming Obstacles & Navigating Change
As the number one ranked female skeleton athlete in the world, Noelle was expected to compete in the 2006 Olympics and bring home the gold but three months before the Games, she suffered a tragic accident when a runaway bobsled hit her, breaking her leg and shattering her dreams.
Just weeks later, she defied the odds and returned to compete, learning firsthand that while we can’t always control what happens to us, we can control our choices.
Audience Takeaways:
- Discover the power of personal choice in the face of adversity and change.
- Learn how to take control of your attitude, even when circumstances are beyond your control.
- Reframe challenges as stepping stones—not stop signs—on the path to success.
- Understand how to move forward with confidence, even when the future is uncertain.
- See obstacles not as setbacks, but as necessary experiences that build character and clarity.
Keynote by Noelle Pikus Pace:
SMALL AND SIMPLE THINGS | The Power of 1%
Shoelaces cost Noelle an Olympic medal! After a heartbreaking 4th-place finish at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010—missing bronze by just 1/10th of a second—Noelle discovered her shoelaces had been dragging down the track. That tiny oversight made all the difference.
Her experience teaches audiences how small, simple changes can create massive results over time.
Audience Takeaways:
Learn how to live an intentional life
See how habits shape who we become
Identify what needs to be fixed to improve performance
Discover your “next 1%” for immediate improvement
Understand how small factors can impact big goals—and how to address them
Noelle Pikus Pace Speaker Reel
Watch Noelle Pikus Pace in action!
