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Robyn Benincasa
Two-time World Champion Eco-Challenge Adventure Racer and San Diego Firefighter
Latest Review · All Reviews (30)
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I think that she was tremendous. More important her presentation was not just inspirational/motivational, but it resonated with all of us, and fit our message. Powerful stuff
Destination Hotels & Resorts
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Bio
Robyn Benincasa accepts full blame for inspiring people to do insane things like climb Mount Kilimanjaro, run their first triathlon, start their own adventure racing teams, or start their own businesses. This is, after all, who she is and what she does: Robyn Benincasa inspires people to do amazing things.
Benincasa has made an art form of extreme performance by competing and winning at the highest levels of sport and business. Revered as one of "California's Fittest Women", she spent her youth competing at the state and national level in gymnastics, diving, cross country, and judo in which she became a national champion. Soon after earning a Marketing degree from Arizona State University, Robyn 'started at the top' Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company where she earned the prestigious "Rookie of the Year" award.
While consistently achieving top sales in her day job, Robyn completed six Ironman races, with two podium finishes. Then the adventure race bug bit.
In her 15-year career as a professional adventure racer, Robyn Benincasa has competed in close to 40 expedition-length events - gnarly, multiday, multisport killers such as Primal Quest and Eco-Challenge. She has biked through jungles in Borneo, climbed Himalayan giants in Nepal, trekked across lava fields in Fiji, rafted rapids in Chile - and racked up multiple world championship titles along the way. In her spare time, Robyn, is a full-time firefighter in San Diego, on the nation's first all-female crew.
NBC, ABC, CNN, ESPN, USA Network, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Life Network, PBS and FOX have all featured Robyn and her amazing accomplishments. Add to those network credits editorials in Fast Company, Sport Illustrated, Vogue, Corporate & Incentive Travel, The New York Times, Outside, and Harper's Bazaar.
Benincasa launched World Class Teams and its sister company Flashover Seminars to bring her unique and inspiring perspective on teamwork to the corporate world via keynotes, seminars and teambuilding programs. Starbucks, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Aramark, Honda/Acura, Tony Robbins, Allianz, Wal-Mart, Timberland, Napster, AT&T and Earthlink rely on Robyn's "Extreme Performance: Why Winners Win", "High Performance Leadership" and her signature program "The 8 Essential Elements of Human Synergy". Her unforgettable presentations have taught countless high-performance leaders all over the world about "Building World Class Teams" and the 'followership' skills necessary for dynamic role shifting and true teamwork.
Robyn Benincasa founded the Project Athena Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women who've endured medical setbacks achieve their athletic dreams, whether it means climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or running a local 10K. The goal? To encourage survivors not just to survive - but to thrive in the wake of their diagnoses.
"The biggest, strongest, and fastest competitors are not guaranteed a successful finish. It's the teams that truly understand interdependence, have empathy for one another, share common ideals, manage adversity well, and check their egos at the start line that win these races. In my experience, the same is true in the corporate world."
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Categories
Business,
Change,
Empowerment,
Health and Wellness,
Inspiring,
Keynote,
Leadership,
Motivational,
Peak Performance,
Personal Development,
Sales,
Sports,
$10,000-$20,000,
California,
English,
Inspirational,
San Diego,
United States,
Women
Links
- Robyn Benincasa (official site)
- Twitter (@robynbenincasa)
- MotivationalSpeakers.com
- National Speakers Bureau
- Goodman Speakers Bureau
- Keynote Speakers, Inc.
- Convention Connection
- Speak, Inc.
- Gail Davis & Associates, Inc.
- Facebook Profile Page
- Project Athena
- Flashover Seminars
- Brickenden Speakers Bureau, Inc.
- The Sweeney Agency
- Gold Stars Speakers Bureau
- FIVE STAR Speakers & Trainers, LLC
- World Class Teams
- Arnett & Associates
- Capitol City Speakers Bureau
- Speaker Resource Center, Inc.
- Keppler Speakers
- The Agency for Speakers & Entertainers
- Eagles Talent Connection, Inc.
- Equanimity, Inc.
- TheExpertCompany.com
- Executive Speakers Bureau
- Midwest Speakers Bureau
- Orange County Speakers Bureau
- Powell Kohne Associates
- PPI Marketing
- Speakers Network Worldwide
- Speakers' Spotlight
- The Speaker Agency
- Speakers Spotlight & Entertainment
Reviews (30)
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I think that she was tremendous. More important her presentation was not just inspirational/motivational, but it resonated with all of us, and fit our message. Powerful stuff
Destination Hotels & Resorts
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I attended Robyn's inspirational speech Why Winners Win. I have not stopped thinking about how I can incorporate her ideas not only into my work life but also into my own personal running goals. Her examples of encountering road blocks but continuing to pick herself back up have inspired me to keep going whether it's dealing with a difficult client at work or struggling with my 1/2 marathon training. I have also implemented Robyn's team ideas by collaborating with my successful colleagues, as well as running with and sharing tips with experienced marathoners.
I am so grateful to have attended Robyn's speech! It has made me reevaluate the way that I think and live my every day life. One day I want to be the next Robin Benincasa. :)
IHR 1n 1t to WIN it Sales Conference - Orlando, FL, June 2011
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Robyn's engaging, funny, interactive and CONTENT-RICH presentation to 900 of our school leaders was nothing short of amazing. Her physical strength is NOTHING compared to the strength of her WILL and her HEART. She gave district leaders a new perspective on teamwork and life. Robyn is an inspirational human being and someone who models hard work, integrity, and wellness.
Wow. Best. Speaker. Ever.
Orange County Public Schools' Superintendent's Leadership Summit - Orlando, FL June, 2011
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Once in a while, a speaker just captivates you and you can’t stop thinking about her message. Robyn Benincasa was that speaker for me this week during the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) annual conference. So rather than ooh and ahh about the wisdom-of-outgoing-chair-Maureen-Hurley/admiration-for-incoming-chair-Carin-Stutz/supportiveness-of-WFF-president-Fritzi-Woods/impressiveness-of-Ivanka-Trump/humor-of-Bertice-Barry/motivation-of-Peter-Sheahan, I’ll focus on Robyn. Robyn embodies the very mission of the WFF; the fact that her session hit the nail on the head was as much an epiphany for me as were the lessons she imparted. I know I risk losing something in translation but will try to do her talk and her spirit justice.
Robyn is a two-time World Champion adventure racer, a term I learned during her talk. She’s spent 15 years participating in races involving extreme physical activities in grueling conditions, and overcome adversity on numerous occasions. She was on Mark Burnett’s Eco-Challenge reality show and has been featured in numerous other extreme athletic events. She lives on the edge, to put it mildly. She is also a San Diego firefighter and has translated her passion into a non-profit, Project Athena. Through her talk, "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Results," Robyn uses her adventure racing experiences to illustrate what it means to really work as a team.
Part of the reason Robin is so captivating is that I am amazed by people like her. For some time, I’ve been fascinated by tales of Everest climbs and the like. I loved Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston, and well as its movie, 127 Hours. I am in awe of those who test their limits. My fear threshold is far below what these experiences require, so the vicarious participation is a thrill. Robyn resonated so strongly for me because not only did she let me be a voyeur on her adventures, but she applied the learnings into the very lessons the WFF espouses. And she did so while entertaining a roomful of people, riveting us from the get-go.
The WFF’s mission, as many know, is to elevate women leaders. All WFF programming is geared towards supporting women in leadership positions or striving for such positions. The WFF focuses on a variety of core competencies that enable women to succeed as leaders including risk-taking, tough-mindedness, driving for results, and more. Running my own business, I am certainly in a leadership position. But my development is my responsibility and often, other demands take priority over my own skill-building. Some WFF competencies come naturally to me, and others do not, but it’s the rare seminar that hits home with a message I can readily translate to my business and to my growth areas.
I chose Robyn’s session because team-building has been on my mind lately as Intellaprice grows. As Robyn used her racing experiences to illustrate lessons in teamwork, I began to see my team and my role as captain in a new light. I actually thought of ways I should support my team differently, to all of our benefit. I envisioned what it would look like if I was more motivational a different perspective when coaching team members, or had a more positive spin when offering feedback. As Robyn pointed out, there is a difference between winning and not losing. Lots of speakers can remind us of the nature of good teamwork and connection. Robyn, however, was able to help me think about this very clearly and I can put her teachings to use immediately.
Granted, conducting pricing research and analysis for clients is not the same pressure as say, walking along a death-defying ridge for hundreds of miles or swimming through muddy, leach-infested waters in Borneo. But as my staff can attest, we face our own challenges. Robyn's messages about working for the greater good of the team, checking your ego at the door, and carrying others who need it so that the team finishes and wins are definitely translatable.
If the WFF strives to strengthen our leadership competencies, and team building is a goal for me, then Robyn did more for my personal development in 90 minutes than anyone has in my entire career. She has helped the WFF fulfill its mission, which is quite remarkable. Her session alone would have made this conference worthwhile. That it was accompanied by many other positive aspects of the conference was a bonus.
Women's Foodservice Forum Annual Conference, April 2011
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Robyn did a fantastic job of motivating the group and tying her message to the purpose of our meeting. We were focused on creating impact with our strategic initiatives and getting the team rallied behind the right behaviors and attitudes necessary to do so. Robyn was inspriring, entertaining, and challenging! Everyone left the session energized and ready to commit to action and impact. Simply fantastic!
Drive Technologies, Extended Staff Meeting - New Orleans, LA, December, 2010
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YOUR DYNAMIC PRESENATION!
YOUR GREAT EXAMPLES FROM THE WORLD OF EXTREME SPORTS..THE POINTS YOU MADE IN REGARD TO LEADERSHIP SKILLS WAS RIGHT ON THE MONEY!
SSDAO CONFERENCE IN EUGNE OREON
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Hi Robyn! Thanks so much for the information. I am really going to try to do the Grand Canyon and see if I can recruit some others to join me!
We are so happy that you were able to speak at our Sales & Marketing meeting. Your messages were inspirational, motivational, and exactly in tune with our strategy. I heard extremely positive reviews from those who attended.
Can you please send me a link to your presentation so we can provide it to all attendees? Again, thank you. I truly enjoyed meeting and working with you. All the best to you Robyn!
Cindy
Cindy Stilp
Director of Marketing and Communications
SCA Tissue North America
2011 Sales & Marketing Meeting in San Diego
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Robyn was the motivational speaker for our 2011 conference. In the past we have had a few different speakers but this year they had Robyn only and she was awesome - we did not need more then her!
Robyn was fun and kept things real. She has helped me to re-focus on whats ahead of me, winning and to have the attitude to do it!!
PS- I love her chick card - used it already :)
Thank you for inspiring... me Robyn!!
Stephanie Zapata
DH&R
Isle of Palms, SC on January 6th
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Robyn was absolutely fantastic at the ORD conference in Toronto. She has an outstanding ability to immediately connect with the audience and ‘shush’ them with her incredible story. All hearts and minds in the room were captivated by her presence and detailed account of her personal journey and that of others who complete these amazing eco-challenge events. What resonated incredibly well were the elements of teamwork and how each member takes turns being the leader when it makes the most sense, particularly from a skill set or capability perspective – and particularly when it counts, i.e. when the fun stops! She exudes courage, strength, compassion, determination, and fun! All qualities that we want to emulate as leaders. I definitely would love to have her come back again some time in the future – she is truly one amazing and inspiring person!
Senior Manager, Canadian Financial Services Organization
November 11th, 2010 Review
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Our speakers bureau booked Robyn for a client event recently. She received stellar reviews from the client and the audience members. I would highly recommend Robyn to anyone looking for a dynamic, amazing team building speaker that delivers an important message. Robyn is one of our favorites by far!
October 4th, 2010
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"My team had a FANTASTIC time with Robyn and her team. I can not 'glow' about the event enough! Everyone from World Class Teams was wonderful - they really worked with my executives and helped pull them out of their shells and make them work as teams. The events they had us doing were a lot of fun, challenging as well as meaningful for our team to get the most from the event (not to mention hilarious to watch!). The end of the day/wrap up session where we re-grouped on the day's activities and how everyone did also served as a learning lesson.
All in all, it was a great experience and we really enjoyed doing it and learning from it. It really did help bring my team together - from my executives that work Internationally and in US Satellite offices, to the people that work together on a daily basis in our LA office. Everyone got a keen sense of 'teamwork' and the challenges really made them bond. Not a bad word was said about the day (other than 'I'm going to be sore tomorrow!')."
Corporate Event
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"Robyn - I thought I knew the importance of teamwork, but your presentation at our sales meeting drove home just how critical teamwork is in every aspect of life...business and personal! Thank you for bringing this to the forefront of my everyday dealings in life, you reiterated and drove home what I already thought I knew...just magnified it 1000 times. You truly are inspirational. After hearing you speak, I am truly inspired to be a better team member."
Corporate Event
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"Robyn has a singular energy which she transmits to her audience, allowing them, at least vicariously, to live what she has experienced. Her story is a call-to-action to be more active at whatever level in the great outdoors."
Corporate Event
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"I am back to my job and family life, but I have to tell you that the World Class Teams experience last week was very significant. Although I have done some teambuilding processes before, I felt your ideas were unique. I had fun, but I continually learned about giving, listening, planning, thinking, and pushing myself as far as possible.
"Robyn does a fabulous job of bringing the principles of adventure racing into the corporate environment. She did a great job of customizing her session to meet the needs and objectives of our national management meeting. The audience was riveted and our managers continue to talk about Robyn and the lasting impact she made!"
Corporate Event
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"The section of "Extreme Team String" that I brought home from our event still hangs in my office as a reminder of so many lessons, including "asking for help is a gift to the helper". I continue to be inspired by my experience with World Class Teams on the beach in San Diego. You made a profound impact in my life! Thank You!"
Corporate Event
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"I am still charged by my experience participating in Robyn's "AdventureTeambuilding" program, and have put a lot of her team ideas into practice in my business"
Corporate Event
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THANK YOU for a wonderful, inspiring
and uplifting presentation this morning. The buzz around the agency is fantastic, and many people have stopped by my office or sent me mails to tell me how much they liked it, and how much you amazed them.
Corporate Event
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"Robyn's background and experience provide us with a unique and much needed perspective for our RealTime participants, and her award winning adventure racing team embodies what it means to be a leader today. We always get an INCREDIBLE response to her 'Building World Class Teams' sessions and adventure events."
Corporate Event
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"Robyn , Thank you for a fabulous and outstanding presentation during our C3 Outfitters event this past week in Phoenix. Your presentation style and message really energized the attendees. We heard nothing but great comments and feedback from many of the attendees throughout the week.
Your flexibility to work with us on the message, theme and your overall participation was very refreshing and we appreciate all your efforts both prior and during the event. Your presentation was one of the highlights for the event and helped to make this one of our most successful C3 events to-date. Thank you from all of the management team and the C3 committee."
Corporate Event
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"We had so much fun with you. I literally received so many compliments on your message and comments about how your talk touched people - some wanted to go home and share with their husbands/wives/families. Several others said you were the best speaker they had ever heard (my opinion too by the way) and that more in Nestle should hear you! You SO over-delivered both in your speech and in your willingness to spend time with our team. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect message to be delivered at just the right time."
Corporate Event
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