Case study

NRL star shares positive mental health message at R U OK? Day corporate event

The Brief

Alex McKinnon to speak at R U OK? Day event about his journey and mental health.

    Solution

    Aircraft maintenance company BAE Systems were planning their annual R U OK? Day event at their workplace in Williamtown, NSW, and wanted to secure a speaker who could capture the audience's attention.

    Specifically, the client was after an athlete whose story and experience with mental health would not only inspire employees but resonate with the wide variety of 'blue and white collar' professions on site.

    So, BAE Systems came to Pickstar hoping to book former NRL star Alex McKinnon, who has become a key public speaker on mental health and maintaining a positive mindset after a spinal cord injury in 2014 left him a quadriplegic.

    The Pickstar team is dedicated to securing every client's top pick, so they quickly pitched the idea to Alex. He immediately jumped on the chance to guest speak and welcomed the opportunity to empower others with a positive and healthy message on R U OK? Day.

      Outcome

      Alex spent over five hours with BAE Systems, guest speaking across the client's three main sites.

      Alex first spent the morning guest speaking on his personal journey and how he has dealt with his mental health over time. He particularly focussed on the importance of making the most of any situation, a mission he developed shortly after his injury, where he became committed to breaking the 'why me?' mentality.

      Following his speech, Alex joined the group for morning tea and was available for autograph signings and photograph opportunities with excited employees.


      Do you have an upcoming event on mental health? Why not book a sports star guest speaker to enhance the message.

      With Pickstar's new filtering system, you can specifically search for elite athletes who are powerful guest speakers and advocates for mental health.

      Just tell us your idea, your budget, and what you require, and we'll take it from there! Get started now.

        #MentalHealth
        #GuestSpeaker
        #corporate
        #AlexMcKinnon
        #NRL